|
New This Week
Critics & Publications
Archives: A-Z Index
Advanced Search
Upcoming Release Calendar
Awards & Bests By Year
All-Time High Scores
All-Time Low Scores
How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Film In Our Forums
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
|
Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
Magnolia Pictures
 |
|
MPAA RATING: Not Rated
In America, we define ourselves in the superlative: we are the biggest, strongest, fastest country in the world. We reward speed, size and above all else: winning – at sport, at business and at war. Metaphorically we are a nation on steroids. Is it any wonder that so many of our heroes are on performance enhancing drugs? Blending comedy and pathos, Bigger, Stronger, Faster* is a collision of pop culture and first-person narrative, with a diverse cast including US Congressmen, professional athletes, medical experts and everyday gym rats. At its heart, this is the story of director Christopher Bell and his two brothers, who grew up idolizing muscular giants like Hulk Hogan, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and who went on to become members of the steroid-subculture in an effort to realize their American dream. When you discover that your heroes have all broken the rules, do you follow the rules, or do you follow your heroes? (Magnolia)
| GENRE(S): |
Documentary
|
| WRITTEN BY: |
Christopher Bell
Alexander Buono
|
| DIRECTED BY: |
Christopher Bell
|
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: September 30, 2008
Theatrical: May 30, 2008
|
| RUNNING TIME: |
105 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: |
USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
91
Entertainment Weekly
Owen Gleiberman
Bigger, Stronger, Faster is a portrait of a culture that claims to hate steroids but may, by now, be too pumped to do much about it.
90
Film Threat
Don R. Lewis
Bell's documentary is an absolute must see for anyone taking part in any kind of debate about steroids.
90
Variety
Peter Debruge
More scrupulously reported than your average Michael Moore film but every bit as entertaining, Bigger, Stronger, Faster* is as commercial as documentaries come.
90
Los Angeles Times
Carina Chocano
Raucously funny and surprisingly insightful.
88
Chicago Tribune
Teddy Greenstein
Bell confronts Smelly, labeling him a cheater. But he also sympathizes with him, explaining, "There is a clash in America between doing the right thing and being the best."
88
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert
This movie is remarkable in that it seems to be interested only in facts.
83
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Noel Murray
Attempts to look beyond the hysteria and consider exactly how and why a culture that values physical power has internalized the idea that steroid use in sports is a scourge.
83
Portland Oregonian
Shawn Levy
Entertaining and informative.
80
Newsweek
David Ansen
Perfectly reflects the range of this funny, disturbing and complex tale.
80
The New York Times
Stephen Holden
Bigger, Stronger, Faster* left me convinced that the steroid scandals will abate as the drugs are reluctantly accepted as inevitable products of a continuing revolution in biotechnology. Replaceable body parts, plastic surgery, anti-depressants, Viagra and steroids are just a few of the technological advancements in a never-ending drive to make the species superhuman.
80
New York Daily News
Joe Neumaier
Entertaining, smart and snappy, this terrific doc, a Sundance favorite, digs into the country's use of steroids and how it affects sports, pop culture and the self-image of young men.
80
Village Voice
Michelle Orange
Scrappy, remarkably expansive, crazily watchable.
80
The Hollywood Reporter
Richard James Havis
This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach not only makes for pacey entertainment, it also allows director Christopher Bell to delve deep into the matter at hand.
78
Austin Chronicle
Josh Rosenblatt
Full of revelations, all brought to light by Bell's good-natured, Michael Moore-lite dogging of athletes, health experts, government officials, and even his own parents.
75
San Francisco Chronicle
Reyhan Harmanci
A smart, funny and edifying documentary.
75
Boston Globe
Ty Burr
A hugely entertaining personal documentary about what steroids mean to American pop culture.
75
New York Post
Lou Lumenick
While Bell makes the point that pros account for about 85 percent of total usage, he is more interested in why others - including a guy with the world's biggest biceps, who admits they repulse women - are so driven to be Bigger, Stronger, Faster*.
70
Washington Post
Stephen Hunter
He treats jocks like humans, not stars or superheroes, and in the end has managed something unique for documentaries these days: It's as entertaining as it is fair.
70
Chicago Reader
Andrea Gronvall
Bell presides over this insightful, often droll survey like a sweeter, buffer version of Michael Moore, trolling gyms, universities, and Congress to grill assorted experts.
67
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
William Arnold
It's an interesting and eye-opening journey.
 The average user rating for this movie is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Discuss this movie in our forums |
|
