Pumping Iron 1977

Richard Eder, New York Times: An interesting, rather slick and excessively long documentary about the small but intensely competitive world of body-building. Read more

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine: A very good film, beautifully shot and edited, intelligently structured and -- to risk what will surely seem at first a highly inappropriate term -- charming. Read more

Derek Adams, Time Out: The movie is a very shrewd mixture of documentary and realistic fiction, put together with both eyes and ears on entertainment value. Read more

Variety: The 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. Read more