Any sports fan over the last few years has been subject to hours and hours of Steroids debate, whether in the media, in Congress, or just on the Little League field. To call this movie the "Comprehensive Guide to Steroids in America" is accurate, but also sells the movie a little short. Not only does it provide an in-depth analysis of the steroid culture, and also provide a sympathetic case study in the Bell family, but it transcends either of those simplifiers by attaching itself to the nostalgia of American culture itself.
How can one deny the appeal of Rambo, Rocky IV, Hulk Hogan, and the Governator himself? Clips of Reagan and Bush Sr. endorsing such icons while also passing legislation banning any non-medical use of steroids are perhaps the most poignant facts of the film. Those points, and younger brother Stinky's honest relation of the ways he seems equally approving and regretful of his steroid use. This film manages to span the political, competitive, and personal effects of steroids in an even-handed and balanced manner that will open a lot of eyes.
How can one deny the appeal of Rambo, Rocky IV, Hulk Hogan, and the Governator himself? Clips of Reagan and Bush Sr. endorsing such icons while also passing legislation banning any non-medical use of steroids are perhaps the most poignant facts of the film. Those points, and younger brother Stinky's honest relation of the ways he seems equally approving and regretful of his steroid use. This film manages to span the political, competitive, and personal effects of steroids in an even-handed and balanced manner that will open a lot of eyes.