Leofwine_draca PUMPING IRON is a bodybuilding documentary that feels very much a product of its time. The film follows the fortunes of various rival weight trainers as they compete for the prestitious Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia competitions. It's most well-known today for being the film that introduced the inimitable Arnold Schwarzenegger and his larger-than-life character to the masses. A young and goofy Schwarzenegger is endearing as ever here, sharing camaraderie with his peers and always trying to play mind games even when not on the stage. The film is a little fake and scripted at times, but to my mind this makes the subject matter that bit more entertaining. A lot of the laughs come from the presence of Lou Ferrigno, presented as a real slow-witted character one step behind everybody else. PUMPING IRON is good enough to be enjoyed even if you're not a fan of the whole bodybuilding scene.

roddekker Meet the absolute, ultimate giants of he-man muscle.As some of the biggest and brawniest bodybuilders in the world train, like total fiends, for the up-coming "Mr. Olympia" contest in Pretoria, South Africa, the viewer gets a front row seat to see all of the action, which includes exclusive interviews from a number of these top contenders who are diligently going for the title, like Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbu, Mike Katz, Ken Wallace, and, of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger.Pumping Iron really is an excellent documentary. It contains lots of very good footage and gives the viewer a clear insight into the mind-set of these devoted men who pump iron with an absolute passion.I highly recommend this film to one, and all.

Max Harbord I did not have particularly high expectations of this film when I first came to watch it, but I left the screen with a new found knowledge of bodybuilding, an area which I had never seen on film before, and was inspired more than ever to get training! I really liked this film a lot. I found it very interesting to have entered this new world of bodybuilding and I now have a much better understanding of what the sport is all about. I found Arnold Shwarzenegger to be very funny throughout this film and enjoyed watching his journey. I would highly recommend this film to just about anyone and I hope it can inspire you too.

Eric Iverson "I'm not a quitter. It's like a dog. You can kick a dog so long, and it'll do two things: It's either gonna roll over and die or it's gonna bite you and attack you. And, I'm the kind of a person, who is the type of a dog, who would fight back. I wasn't gonna roll over and quit." -Mike KatzThis documentary shows men at the very top of their sport, even though their choices may make them outcasts in their time. By juxtaposing Arnold's story with Mike Katz and "Louie," this documentary shows what it means to succeed. Maybe you want to be the undisputed best at your game, but you'll have to sacrifice your emotions, like Arnold, and your human decency, like Waller.Perhaps you're a Mike Katz in life. You'll never get to be the best in the rat race, but you keep your heart with your family and never let them down. Or, you might be an Arnold, driven blindly to success, without a thought to the dying father back home or to the people you push down as you climb up. And there's Louie, his speech and hearing problem made him strong. He is sheltered and pushed too hard by his overbearing father, who always feels the need to be Louie's ears and voice. But Louie always pushes back, trying to find his own voice and his own life. None of the men here are weak, yet the sport always seems to be portrayed that way, like they are freaks or outcasts. I am not a bodybuilder, and I don't plan on becoming one, but the ideas and emotions presented in this movie are universal. The world needs men like Arnold, and it needs men like Mike. And, most of all, it needs men like Lou, who never lay down and never give up, even in the face of seemingly unsurmountable obstacles in life.This film can teach you about yourself, through the men portrayed on the screen. It is not merely a presentation of the sport of bodybuilding. "Pumping Iron" brings us into the lies and lives of the men we see all around us, men who have been pushed and men who push themselves to be the best they can be. This is the pinnacle of documentary film-making.