Pulling John

Man-oh-man, have I been waiting for this flick. Come to think of it, I forget how I even found out about this movie. I think arm-wrestling is badass and all, but I don't think I was looking up arm-wrestling movies….or maybe I was. Actually, yeah, I think that's exactly how I came to find out about Pulling John. And the rest is history. Or in fact, rather, it's just the beginning.

I love me some documentaries, especially good ones. And when I started looking into Pulling John and finding out about the ultra talented John Brzenk, my interest certainly took a turn towards peaking the hell out of itself. And when I was introduced to the uber-charismatic Travis Bagent and the 'massively' likable Alexey Voevoda, I knew in an explosion of creamy, sticky arm-tugging goodness, that Pulling John will be mine. And the story of the three men also sounded swell.

And it was.

John is pondering about retirement, but also about how he should go out. Should he retire at the top, or possibly take on the up and coming freaks of the sport? You see so many other athletes, great friggin athletes, calling it quits at such stupid times. Look at Jordan, look at Couture…they all made comebacks, which we were happy about, but ultimately we all shook our heads at such premature ejaculation. Saving face is what it is. I just have to say, John Brzenk ain't no face saver. He's a competitor, and one that deserves respect of the highest level.

The flick's core undoubtedly revolves around John and his legendary career, but its two side characters are just as important to the film's success. Travis brings the laughs and energy to the film that would have been sorely lacking if he was absent. And with Alexey, it brings….it brings…Ivan Drago; a cooler, thoughtful and more friendly Drago. With two steam-rolling powerhouses like Travis and Alexey the film truly does become the documentary I was so hoping it would. Either of the two men is interesting enough to have been the stars of their own documentary. It's this aspect of the film that makes you want to compare it to Pumping Iron, King of Kong, Riding Giants or any other great movie with numerous likable and relatable personalities.

Navid, the producer of the film was kind enough to personally email me concerning the updates of the DVD, and even though I thanked him a half dozen times, I'll do so again. Thanks, man. Yourself, and your partners have done a great job here. The production was high, the animations were slick and impressive, and the story presented was goose-bump inducing, and also, without a doubt, it created the some of the best feelings of cinematic trepidation I've had in a long, long time.

If you like documentaries, sport flicks, a combination of both, or just flat-out damn good movies, you should check out Pulling John. And with 50 minutes of extra footage and commentaries by the director and Brzenk, I'm very much looking forward to watching it again and again. But first, time for some pull-ups.

John Brzenk isn't a household name unless you follow the sport of arm wrestling -- but if you do, Brzenk is to his sport what Michael Jordan is to basketball or Muhammad Ali is to boxing. Born in 1964, Brzenk began competing seriously at age 16, and two years later he won his first world championship. Since then, Brzenk has been the man to beat in any serious international competition, and he has held the world arm wrestling championship for close to a quarter of a century. But at the age of 40, Brzenk finds himself facing the same questions that vex any great athlete.Should he retire while he's still at the top, or wait for time, age and stronger, younger competitors to strip him of his title?

This documentary also profiles two men regarded as likely candidates to take Brzenk's place as arm wrestling's king of the mountain -- Alexey Voevoda, a Russian from a long line of military heroes who wants to bring the championship home to his country, and Travis Bagent, a spirited young American who has followed Brzenk's career since he was a child and sees himself as the heir to his throne.

I thought Pulling John was an interesting documentary. I had no contact at all with arm wrestling; I didn't even know that there are official tournaments and it was nice to get a bit of insight into an overlooked sport that very few people talk about. At the same time, the subject is a bit limited. We are given some information about the beginnings of the sport and how it has evolved, the different techniques and so forth but let's not kid ourselves; in the end it's two guys trying to pull each other's arm. There's not a whole lot to talk about. That's why Pulling John focuses almost completely in this 3 individuals. Travis Bagent, the up-and-coming American who's extremely loud and obnoxious, Alexey Voevoda, the calm and collected Russian and Brzenk, the living legend. The human component is definitely what makes this documentary an interesting watch. Overall, it's quite entertaining and insightful, specially for someone who isn't familiarized with the sport of arm wrestling but it's not a great documentary by any means.

6.5/10

This film follows 3 professional arm wrestlers; A favorite for the championship, the Russian Alexy Voevoda. A young rising star working his way towards his first championship, from West Virginia Travis Bagent, and the best arm wrestler of all-time John Brzenk. You learn a lot about the individuals, and what drew them to the sport. You also learn from all the arm wrestlers interviewed that John Brzenk is the best ever, and the best there ever will be. He is the Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Wayne Gretzky, and Joe Montana combined!. People in the community look at Brzenk as a god. Professionals never even compare themselves to him, because they know they will never be anywhere near his status. Brzenk started arm wrestling when he was 16, and by the time he was 18 he won his first title. He is 43 when this was filmed. The most impressive stat to Travis Bagent and Voevoda, and the entire arm wrestling work was that Brzenk has never lost a Supermatch.

Throughout the course of the film, you follow Travis Bagent, and Alexy Voevoda train, and work their ways through the ranks and crush opponents until the 2 square off in the championship. Voevoda is highly favored over the young, loud, eccentric American Bagent. Once you become World Champ you will most likely get a shot at the legend John Brzenk, and that is what these 2 men dream about.

You have to give this movie a watch if you're a fan of documentaries, a sports fan of any kind, and love to watch people that are masters of their crafts. I went into this film with no expectations, and left with so much respect for John Brzenk. Bagent, and Voevoda sure have bright futures, and after seeing this I think I might have to start following arm-wrestling. I never thought I would say that. What a fun and powerful film.

This fascinating film had its World Premiere at SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX. Most of the audience, myself included, probably had no idea that arm wrestling was even a professional sport when they walked in. And yet the film managed to charm the audience in the best tradition of documentaries about sports subcultures. I'd compare it with films like Pumping Iron, Word Wars, Murderball or King of Kong. The film focuses on 3 of the best international arm wrestlers - 1 Russian, 2 Americans - and reveals the complexities of their competitive sport. Their intelligence and commitment to excellence is revealed through interviews which break down many of the stereotypes associated with muscle sports. These guys are sophisticated and charming as well as strong.

The film also reveals the fascinating struggle of World Champion John Brzenk as he gets older and struggles with that question that all great athletes deal with: When do you reach your physical limits and decide that enough is enough and it is time to retire? We've seen this sort of question play out with the Brett Farves and Michael Jordans in more high profile sports, but this film allows us all to think about this same question much more thoughtfully.

The filming and storytelling is quite good and the drama and suspense of competition draws the audience in. The characters are complex and not simple athletic stereotypes. I hope more people get to see this entertaining sports documentary.

Pulling John is a movie that will surprise you as it showcases one of the world's premier strength athletes. I was told that I "had to see this movie, you won't believe it!". I watched it with low expectations as I could not care less about arm wrestling, but I was astonished by the thought that there was a 200 lb, guy out there, who for the past twenty years has been beating every giant that has challenged him. the other reviewer is correct in that the movie does not have a great deal of depth to it, however, I thought that there was moderate development in terms of showing the big Russian's way of life, and the American hick's upbringing. The nearly universal awe and fear in which John is held by all the other competitors is amazing. I highly recommend this inspiring picture.