Pumping iron is as satisfying as having sex with a woman and reaching orgasm, says Arnold Schwarzenegger in this fascinating1977 documentary
Comment
03/14/09
Pumping Iron (1977)
96
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:23
Fresh:22
Rotten:1
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: In addition to offering an enlightening early look into the world of future star/politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pumping Iron provides a witty and insightful overview of competitive bodybuilding.
Runtime: 87 mins
Genre: Sports/Recreation
Synopsis: Behind-the-scenes bodybuilding activity is the theme of this semi-documentary on World Bodybuilding competition. When the film was first released, it became a surprisingly huge box office success,... [More]
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbu, Mike Katz
Director: George Butler, Robert Fiore
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Reviews for Pumping Iron
A very good film, beautifully shot and edited, intelligently structured and -- to risk what will surely seem at first a highly inappropriate term -- charming.
08/03/08
Top CriticArnold's "reality" debut
04/06/07
Fascinating stuff when viewed in the context of Arnie's now notorious political career.
03/14/07
Top CriticDirectors George Butler and Robert Fiore never allow their film to turn into a freak show, but neither do they illuminate the appeal of body building, either to those who participate or those who watch.
03/14/07
Top CriticThe most fascinating aspect of this film is the dedicated training that turns average-built young men (frequently they refer to themselves as weaklings in their early youth) into superbly-created physical edifices.
03/14/07
Top CriticThe movie is a very shrewd mixture of documentary and realistic fiction, put together with both eyes and ears on entertainment value.
06/24/06
Sort of entertaining. Arnold is a prophet.
08/24/05
No review available.
06/18/05
An interesting, rather slick and excessively long documentary about the small but intensely competitive world of body-building.
05/09/05
Top CriticA rather amateurish, rough-around-the-edges affair.
05/04/05
No review available.
04/02/05
Young kids may dream of bulking easily with steroids, but this film graphically shows that it takes a helluva lot of work ... to step on stage with these guys
03/27/05
This is a short and sweet docu-drama for anyone interested in the field of bodybuilding, as well as the art of psyching out your opponents.
02/05/05
Durable documentary starring future Gov. Arnold.
10/25/04
An entertaining and intimate look body building and its devoted personalities. Pumping Iron has muscle and might in all the right witty places
06/24/04
No review available.
05/28/04
It's a living, breathing freakshow in Pumping Iron.
03/04/04
Superior documentary filmmaking
01/30/04
Delivers a quirky meditation on body-building as an odd mixture of pain and narcisstic pleasure.
01/23/04
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