Arnold

'Arnold' (2023) is actually really good. At first glance it appears as another propagandic celebrity docuseries, but Arnold once again chooses to take on another challenge head-on even when he could have just focused only on the positive aspects of his career.

This docuseries will convince you that Arnold is exactly as he appears to be. And the Governator goes in-depth to explain his background and how he has always dealt with challenges.

This series is divided into 3 episodes covering his early-life and bodybuilding career, acting career, and his later life from his time as Governor of California up to 2023. This format resembles his autobiography, 'Total Recall' (2012). It covers pretty much all you thought you knew and everything you didn't even know about.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has always been a man with a vision and mission to achieve this vision. If you love Arnold you will be in awe this whole series. But even if you are only somewhat familiar with Arnie, this series will ignite a fire in you as learn how motivation and a vision can change one's life.

Give it a watch. Its really good.

My husband and I watched all three episodes last night. It's one of the best documentaries I've seen. Very candid and we liked that the person being documented is actually the one doing the talking. He comes across as a very driven person, smarter than a lot people think he is. (Probably the accent and those action movies). He has worked really hard all his life invested his earning wisely. He gives a lot of credit to all the people who have helped him along the way. He actually says " Don't call me a self made man". I've had lots and lots of help". He covers in the three episodes, his early career in bodybuilding along with his relationship with his parents and brother growing up in Austria, his movie career and his political career. He made me believe that he is actually a pretty nice guy who has some flaws and owns up to some mistakes he has made and that he tries to do the right thing. If you are a fan, you will be even a bigger one and if you aren't a fan, you may be surprised more than once and become one.

I am not only a movie buff from France but also a former bodybuilder from my late teen and early adult years. I was totally dedicated in this sport, totally. It was my blood, my spirit, my guts, my sweat. Arnold Schwarzenneger was my idol. I read more stuff about him than anyone else, I bought enough Joe Weider's Muscle Builder magazines to fill up a warehouse or a library, I watched PUMPING IRON dozens of times and thought I knew everything about Arnold. But after watching this series, I suddenly realize how wrong I was. I learned no many things here, saw so many archives videos, footage that I am stunned. And here Arnold is so honest, so sensitive, so poignant. He tells everything about his childhood, his family life with his brother, father, mother, his feelings, his mistakes. He hides absolutely nothing. Except MAYBE sexual details.... He even admits to have taken steroids four months a year during the first part of the seventies, preparing his Mr Olympia contests. He also admits, confesses to have behaved like a German war machine, a robot, an unbeatable, indestructible machine, as later his terrific TERMINATOR character, at least the first one, forget the rest for me. Yes TERMINATOR is the best allegory of what Arnold was during his contest years, a war machine to win, a smart, brilliant machine, millions miles away from all clichés about muscle bound, beefcakes bobybuilders. Arnold was the antithesis of the common bodybuilding image. He did more for bodybuilding - and also himself of course, because he was the most selfish man in the world - he admits it - than any other champion since. But as an actor, he had only a presence, he has never been a actor for me, ONLY A PRESENCE, A F...PRESENCE: TERMINATOR, CONAN THE BARBARIAN and a couple of other excellent flicks such as PREDATOR. This is a damn good document about A S, the best ever for me. He had great genetics, was strong minded, the determination to move mountains, and above all was lucky enough to meet the proper, "good" persons, first in Munich, back in the sixties, and then of course later with the likes of Joe Weider and the Kennedy family, and I am sure many more people in the movie industry. Because, I know, of his terrific charm. Many bodybuilders were luckier than him in terms of genetics - Sergio Oliva - many bodybuilders were also very determined, but those athletes were less lucky than him, less intelligent and also had less charm. I just try here to analyze the reasons of his success.

I love Arnold. I have followed his career my whole life, and wasn't sure if I would watch this because I felt I knew everything I needed to know about Arnold. I was wrong. This is a really great, and honest, documentary about the meteoric rise and challenges of this complex man. While we know the story of Schwarzenegger, what this film does is provides the man's guided journey through the, not only the circumstances, but his thoughts and feelings. The archival footage, and the modern interviews, are all well woven together to make this an exceptional docuseries. I often complain that most modern documentaries are too long-this one, at three parts, is just right. I recommend it.

Arnie's story has a little bit of everything - it is to noone's surprise that Netflix attempts a 3-episode mini-series based on his life. Here, the segregation makes perfect sense. This also helps cover various details and developments primarily from the perspective of Arnold himself, alongside the people who were around him in these distinct phases. Part 1 is interesting to those who'd like to know more about his uneasy upbringing in Austria, his body-building days, and the various struggles he faced while also showcasing superlative levels of ambition and determination. For those who have seen Pumping Iron, there probably won't be much to chew on, but hearing it all from the horse's mouth once again (w/ remarkable footage) is always captivating.

Part 2 focuses on what we already know a lot about, with folks like James Cameron, Danny DeVito, Jamie Lee Curtis, and his arch-rival (of the times) Sly Stallone offering insights into his much celebrated film career. This is the episode where Arnie gets a bit self-indulgent, and he, for sure, indirectly propagated the idea of masculinity among mainstream audiences by being the invincible saviour (or the killing machine) - bikes, tanks, leather jackets, cigars, and a beefy body all part of the "star" package. It's the same thing that WWE did with Hulk Hogan back then. They created a pop culture icon that Americans and people around the world could look up to. But when you look at Arnie's filmography, you wouldn't stumble across many memorable characters except for The Terminator, and that isn't the kind of role you get a Golden Globe or an Academy Award nomination for.

Part 3 was truly the most discerning, given how his political career boasted greater dramatic highs and lows compared to his film career. His personal life also goes for a toss at this time, with past demons catching up to him. Thankfully, his failures are not brushed aside as insignificant, and they're duly acknowledged. In fact, it is clearly reflected in the way how Arnie lives his life in his mansion mostly around a bunch of animals (and not his family), and only one of his children agree to feature in the series, and even she doesn't offer a sound bite. The separation from his wife Maria and the late acceptance of a child-out-of-wedlock are also discussed, and surprisingly, there's a short scene of Arnie and his neglected son (who resembles him the most) working out together too.

Considering the overall picture, this is Arnold telling his version of his story. It is beautifully told, and the visual choices employed by director Lesley Chilcott are enjoyable (especially loved that dimly lit room where Arnie sits and glances at photographs). He will continue to remain a man who made a difference - be it in the world of body-building, cinema, or politics.