Generation Iron: A Review
Generation Iron: A Review
New York City Premiere
IFBB Pro Kai Greene stands shirtless before a mural, somewhere underground in a New York City subway station. Slowly he transitions from pose to pose, and train riders start to take notice, gather around, and seem to forget where they were headed. They stare at what they believe to be a man, but this cannot possibly be real: who is this person who has managed to transform the human body into a living, breathing, surreal work of art?
This is the sport of bodybuilding. This is what Kai Greene lives for. And this is the opening scene in the brand new Documentary on Bodybuilding: Generation Iron.
Generation Iron can be considered a reboot of the classic film Pumping Iron, which was released in 1977, and chronicled the journey of several professional bodybuilders to the 1975 Mr. Olympia contest. Back then, we had Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger facing off against Lou Ferrigno, long before they were known as The Terminator and The Incredible Hulk. Now we have Mr. Olympia Phil Heath defending his title against Kai Greene to see who will take home the coveted Sandow Trophy, in 2012.
The similarities between the two films are subtle, yet clear. One can point a finger directly at the opening scene of Generation Iron. When Pumping Iron begins, we see both Arnold Schwarzenegger and bodybuilder Franco Columbo taking lessons from a ballet instructor on how to perfect presenting their physiques on stage. Both scenes in each film share the quality of presenting bodybuilding as a form of art that requires skill and grace, patience and concentration, and something to be appreciated.
The voice of Mickey Rourke narrates throughout, and Generation Iron takes us on a journey into the training and lifestyle of several top bodybuilders, including Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Victor Martinez, Dennis Wolf, Roelly Winklaar, Branch Warren, Hidetada Yamagishi, and Ben Pakulski.
Each of the competitors featured in the film have a clearly defined reason as to why they’ve chosen the bodybuilding lifestyle. Take Dennis Wolf for example, whose goal is to follow in Arnold’s footsteps, become the top bodybuilder in the world, and become an actor. Hidetada Yamagishi wants to be the first Japanese Mr. Olympia. Roelly Winklaar wants to buy his Mother a new home, a promise his Father never managed to fulfill. Victor Martinez needs bodybuilding to survive.
There’s a clear contrast and intrigue between each bodybuilder. We have The Gift Phil Heath, whose overconfidence and self-belief leads him to the notion that his natural talent will earn him a second Mr. Olympia title. Kai Greene, on the other hand, who still lives in a small, poorly maintained apartment in a tough section of Brooklyn, New York, says that Phil can “…keep his gifts,”, and knows in his heart and soul that the title will be his.
Branch Warren is portrayed as a brutal, hardcore training machine, who doesn’t allow injuries or any setback to stop him from his goals. Ben Pakulski follows a more scientific approach, which includes supervised, private training sessions, complete with Doctors in white coats, digitally analyzing all of his movements. Those familiar with classic movies may remember Rocky Vs. Drago from Rocky III in the above scenario.
Roelly Winklaar is guided by his personal trainer, a parent figure known as Grandma, whom he depends on for everything from cooking his food, putting on his tan, to making sure he gets to bed on time. Hidetada Yamagishi Is a loner, leaving his family behind in Japan, who just can’t seem to accept or understand his lifestyle.
Victor Martinez is the Dominican Dominator, and has overcome so many of life’s setbacks, including devastating personal issues, time in prison, and injuries, that all he can do is keep pushing, keep surviving, and keep moving forward.
Generation Iron bravely tackles the issue of steroids and presents a point of view that suggests performance enhancers are a part of all sports, but it’s also about genetics, training hard, and practice. It begs the question, why have bodybuilders been singled out?
The film also features some surprises, plot twists and some great cameos. There’s even a shocking scene or two, one of which involves an injury to one particular bodybuilder as it happened. Another makes you rethink what’s truly important in life.
Generation Iron finally culminates with all of the featured athletes arriving in Las Vegas, Nevada to take the stage for the 2012 Mr. Olympia contest. This portion of the movie was presented so well, you’ll actually feel like you’re at the venue watching the event live. Having witnessed the personal and private lives of these competitors, you’ll find it hard to not be sympathetic to the outcome.
Director and Writer Vlad Yudin has created a film that presents bodybuilding in a positive and exciting point-of-view, and provides the viewer with a captivating, fun, and thought-provoking adventure into the mind of any professional athlete in any sport. Generation Iron delivers big-time, and may do for bodybuilding and bodybuilders in 2013 what Pumping Iron did for the sport over thirty years ago.
NY PREMIERE - HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
OFFICIAL GENERATION IRON TRAILER