I first became aware of Joe Weider in the mid-Sixties, having taken up weights as exercise and a form of bodybuilding. It was via his magazine "Muscle and Fitness" and the reigning Mr. Olympia at the time was Larry Scott. The film is a rather sanitized look at the life of Joe Weider (Tyler Hoechlin) and to a lesser extent, brother Ben (Aneurin Barnard), who together built an empire based on bodybuilding and nutrition, and correctly prophesied that future athletes would all someday rely on weight training to improve their bodies and physical performance. As an overview, the picture hits the highlights of Joe's career, but with a brisk flourish that does little more than highlight an absolute obsession for his chosen passion. I got a kick out of how, while thinking quickly on his feet, he managed to create the IFBB (International Federation of Body Builders) on the spur of the moment, as well as his future wife Kathy's (Victoria Justice) coming up with the name of the IFBB's crown jewel, the Mr. Olympia title - named after Olympia beer! I never knew that before, so there's a trivia bit that was worth the effort of watching the picture. What I would have liked to see more of were some of the big names who trained and flourished under Weider's tutelage, like the aforementioned Scott, Franco Columbo, and Frank Zane for example. The appearance of Calum Von Moger as Arnold Schwarzenegger fulfilled some of that expectation, but it glossed over Arnold's first attempt at Mr. Olympia, which he lost to Sergio Oliva. It wasn't until his second attempt that he made good. But for an obviously low budget film it accomplishes what it set out to do, and with Eric Weider (son of Ben) on board as Executive Producer, the film is a suitable tribute to the men that brought bodybuilding into the American mainstream.
Review of Bigger
