Along with the heavy line up of bodybuilders that put on one hell of a show at the 2013 Olympia, came the theater release of the docudrama Generation Iron. Set to be today’s Pumping Iron, the film is a dramatic look at last year’s Olympia competition surrounding seven of its competitors.
Leading the cast is Muscletech’s Phil Heath and the Predator Kai Greene, as well as few others who round out the 2012 show bringing their own individual following. Gaspari’s Hidetada Yamagishi, Ben Pakulski, BSN’s Roelly Winklaar and Dennis Wolf, and Branch Warren. There are others featured in the movie with Johnnie Jackson and Victor Martinez, however, the story really revolves around the two leads. To detail our take and opinion of the film, we have here today our first ever cinematic review, of Generation Iron.
One of the major highlights of Generation Iron has to be its ability to live up to that docudrama category. While some may find following a bodybuilder, his diet, his training, and his sleeping, day in day out, a little boring. The maker’s behind the movie managed to find the perfect balance between background story, gym footage, cameo appearances, and interview segments, to keep us captivated. Aside from the extremely informative topics, the film touches on, the combination quickly creates this sense that Phil Heath and Kai Greene are without a doubt the two main characters. In which the Gift comes off as this confident somewhat villain, and the Predator the underdog that everyone roots for.
It is worth mentioning that this is a docudrama, and Phil has actually said recently that the way he was portrayed in Generation Iron, isn’t an exact reflection of him in real life. Despite how he was intended to be viewed in the movie, with some maybe seeing it as a negative thing. We enjoyed Heath’s ‘cocky’ personality, even if it was just an angle for the screen. To be honest, nothing’s more exciting or inspiring, than a leader in his sport showing everyone just how far one can go, and how gifted the Gift really is.
Other cast members in Generation Iron were drowned out a little but definitely added to the story in their own special way. Hidetatda has his cultural and family background, Ben Pakulski’s alternate and scientific take on the sport. Roelly’s dramatic and entertaining relationship with his coach Grandma. Dennis Wolf’s look into the world of acting, and Branch. Who comes off a bit like Kai, the endlessly hardworking and deserving athlete who puts a lot into his training. Every story line, whether it be the Gift and the Predator’s, one of the supporting few, or even the appearance of Victor Martinez, had its own fair share of smack talk.
Generation Iron made a point to highlight what may have just been quotes taken out of context between Kai and Phil but ended up creating this back and forth argument. You then had the unspoken battle between Branch and someone making sly comments about his training methods. As well as the stories we mentioned earlier, the family drama with team Hidetada, and Roelly and his coach.
>Generation Iron definitely delivers a story worth seeing for any gym goer or enthusiast. The movie, in fact, introduces and carries itself so well that you don’t really need to know that much about bodybuilding. Which if you don’t, it’s a real eye-opener, and if you do, then it’s one of those films that makes you want to head to the gym. Buy some new training gear, or go shopping for supplements. It’s a story that excites and inspires, and while there are some areas that aren’t exactly important to the plot.
Generation Iron will keep you in your seats and eyes fixed to the screen. Whether you’ve seen the stars in pictures or interviews, what they go through on a daily basis, and the mindsets they carry was enough to at least mesmerize us. We have seen the 70’s docudrama Pumping Iron, and if the intention of the filmmakers was to create a modern day version of that 1975 Olympia story, then they nailed it.
