Generation Iron 2 is the highly anticipated follow-up to the hit bodybuilding docudrama Generation Iron, released a few years back in 2013. Based on the trailers we’d seen the sequel looked like it was going to be more about today’s social media fitness celebrities, which as it turns out it is, but not in the way we expected.
Vlad Yudin’s Generation Iron 2 focuses heavily on a few big bodybuilding names with Calum Von Moger, Rich Piana from 5% Nutrition, and the internationally known Kai Greene. It does include a handful of other fitness celebrities’ such as Hidetada Yamagishi, ten time Ms. Olympia Iris Kyle, and Ahmad Ashkanani. However, the primary focus does fall on Moger, Piana, and Greene.
Rise of social media
The underlining theme of the film is the rise of social media in bodybuilding, and bodybuilders that have made a name and living for themselves from it. It takes a good look at the fitness industry as a whole and how it’s slowly moved from champions and magazines to social media stars and idols that haven’t necessarily done too much on a bodybuilding stage.
Generation Iron 2 takes viewers inside the lives of celebrities such as Calum Von Moger and Rich Piana, answers questions like how they got where they are, and mixes it with commentary of people that were around before social media. It is with the commentary that things get interesting as you get a unique blend of opinions.
Industry icon commentary
Some of the industry icons that put in their two cents throughout Generation Iron 2 include “Sugar” Shawn Ray, the always entertaining Greg Valentino, Gaspari Nutrition’s Rich Gaspari, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger himself.
As mentioned the commentary is where it all gets interesting as you get some solid comparisons drawn between generations, and even shots fired from Rich Gaspari directly at Rich Piana. The comments are necessary as focusing on the lives of the current athletes and stars does get kind of flat at times.
Not as exciting as the first
Overall Generation Iron 2 is more a lot more of a documentary than a docudrama like the first Generation Iron. It does build up to a few climaxes such as Calum Von Moger competing at his first NPC show, Kai Greene appearing at the New York Comic-Con, and Ahmad Ashkanani winning this year’s Arnold Classic. But at no point does it have that hype or excitement that the first one did with Phil Heath and Kai Greene battling it out at the Mr. Olympia.
If you’re a genuine follower of any of the celebrities in Generation Iron 2, it’s well worth watching. It’s also a good watch if you’re an industry person as it is awesome to see all of the cameos and main stars together in a film, and hearing their opinion on the state of the industry today.
