Lombardi

Absolutely stunning . . . self-made made man , and teams molded to his image . . it's sad that people have to die, I suppose the truly powerful do not, Vince Lombardi is well written about and enshrined in the hearts of any football fan. Absolutely magnificent presentation by HBO, another masterpiece, moving, stirring, and educational. Great quality film. Enhanced from originals and totally fixed. Some throwback images that serve to define the times he lived in. Forward thinking man who didn't care about what a man's skin color was, only what he could do on the field. Revolutionary to the game and the people that knew him. Erik Rivera, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Lombardi (2010)

**** (out of 4)

Excellent documentary from HBO shows the highs and lows of football legend Vince Lombardi has he kicked out some in his early life before finally finding his calling as a coach. He ended up leading the Green Bay Packers to countless championship titles but the documentary also looks at several of his flaws including that legendary temper as well as his somewhat rocky relationship with his son. I think most people alive will at least know the name Lombardi and especially if they're familiar with football. The championship trophy is named after him so each year those millions who tune into the Super Bowl hear the name. I was somewhat familiar with him but this documentary served as a great way to get his life story. At 90-minutes we learn just about everything you'd want to know from his early days growing up to the final days of his life. You can see all the records he set and it's easy to see why he became such an icon but the most telling moments is seeing how many people interviewed here that still broke down crying after discussing his death at the age of 57. It's been forty-years since Lombardi passed away but the way the people reacted here you'd think it was just last week. To me this really tells what impact the legend had on their lives. The documentary gives us plenty of audio of the coach from various interviews he did and we also get a lot of people who were close to him. We hear from players, former teammates and many of his family members including the son who had a few battles with him. I think those familiar with Lombardi are going to know many of the stories being told here but I think they'll still have fun as the documentary is simply extremely well-made. Those not too familiar with the icon will certainly enjoy learning about him and what made him tick.

This film is an incredible Doc, I can't stop watching it! It's exciting, dramatic, funny and colorful. It's also a model for other documentaries to follow. Brilliantly edited and produced (there is no director credited) There is so much old footage of Lombardi from over 40 years ago, that you actually are left with the impression that he has starred in the film! First hand accounts of this inspiring (but not perfect) man give strong credibility to this film. Amazing access to Lombardi's immediate family and former players, with an inspiring music score! It packs a whallop of a dramatic punch in the concluding sequences. I don't much care for football and saw this film by accident and it actually ended up being one of my favorite films of the year!

There have been several documentaries on the life of Coach Vince Lombardi - and this one is as good, if not better than any made. My wife, who knew of the name but little of the man - other than hearing me praise him as the standard by which other coaches are judged - even she thoroughly enjoyed this program.

Perhaps compared to previous documentaries which focused on old football tales between the coach and his players, this presentation revealed the personal man, his inner struggles and everything his family had to endure. After watching this it's easy to see why so many people through various walks of life have often referred to famous quotes of Lombardi's. As he put it, the lessons of football could easily be applied as lessons for life.

I highly recommend the entire family watching this. You will learn why Lombardi has become an icon bigger than life. I promise you won't be disappointed.