Ever since Netflix's The Last Dance and Drive to Survive became highly-rated docu-series, the platform has become a hub for sports-drama documentaries hoping to capitalize on the genre's newfound popularity. Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators is a Netflix Original limited documentary series about "American Gladiators", the famous television show that aired on American networks from 1989 to 1996. Directed by Jared Hess and Tony Vainuku, it is premiered on June 28, 2023, and it skates on the element of nostalgia and nothing more.
The entire documentary series takes the audience through the lives of the so-called "gladiators" who took part in this good old TV show, the journey they began, and how it changed them as individuals. This grueling part of their lives is filled with only fame and no fortune because the 'gladiators' fell on hard times during their eight years on this show.
Stars: Raye Hollitt, Danny Lee Clark, Michael M. Horton
They were given stage names as part of their character building, something most of us have seen in the "WWF." But what makes this documentary different from the others is that it portrays the show as something that came at a time when "WWF" was considered great entertainment, and "American Gladiators" just came along and took the spotlight. for seven seasons. it was ultimately closed due to low ratings. The documentary follows the usual roadmap of talking in detail about the good and bad things the participants faced as part of it and how they eventually overcame them to create an identity of their own.
The setting looks interesting, but it's hard not to notice that the creators of this show go all in on the nostalgia factor because there's a plethora of footage from that decade, but sadly, it doesn't serve to form a definitive narrative. Instead of talking about the motivation and apathy of the athletes, the creators ended up talking trash to each other, bordering on gossip, which makes the show a bit disappointing.
Only if more importance had been given to building the image of the athletes, the engagement factor would have improved. It seems that all of them were brought in to speak in a tone of negativity. It's not that is bad; every tv show has a dark side, and talking about it only makes the discord stronger. In this case, the storytelling was flat and somehow made the viewing experience dull instead of invoking a feeling of turmoil.
The redeeming quality of this documentary has to be the pop culture references of that era and how it takes us back to a time when there were only limited forms of entertainment, but the creative process behind the type of shows that they were was endless. produced and broadcast. The soundtrack of this documentary is a memory of a bygone era. The creators also speak repeatedly about how controversial steroid use eclipsed their popularity to the point that "American Gladiators" failed to land sponsors on several occasions. Unfortunately, the writer's bullshit tactic doesn't work in the documentary's favor because the topic of steroids recurs so many times, and the whole agenda takes you away from the whole narrative he's trying to create. How about devoting an entire episode to the topic, and then moving on to talking about other concerns?
There is an entire episode on the "American Gladiators" live tour that sheds light on the condition of the athletes as they went from city to city, being treated like a circus act, and not given much attention. make sure everyone was fed and kept healthy. This episode leaves an impact on the viewers as it shows that the production company took advantage of the gladiators and gave them nothing in return. This aspect is well presented, but sadly it failed to keep the show interesting at all.
Fortunately, there is a discussion about masculinity and how men are told not to show weakness, as there are athletes who go into detail about their mental health issues, and only therapy helped them see things from a different perspective. . One of the best qualities of the show is that they were an LBGTQ+ ally back then and were inclusive of people of diverse sexualities and accepted for who they were. Hearing the stories of gay athletes on the show makes you smile. The docu-series also spoke about the mistreatment of athletes, who worked hard to keep the show going but were denied a pay increase by the production company. It was good of them to have stood up for themselves even though they paid a heavy price for their act of rebellion. They take the producer's decision in stride instead of regretting it.
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