Movie Review: Andre the Giant (2018)
Synopsis: This documentary discusses the life of Andre Roussimoff, known to the world as professional wrestler Andre the Giant. Through a series of interviews, the film talks about his rise to fame, the difficulties that came with his large size and his eventual physical decline.
Who's in it? Interviewees include Hulk Hogan, Cary Elwes and Robin Wright.
Review: I came across Andre the Giant when scrolling through movies last night and decided to add it to my library. As a professional wrestling fan in the 1980s and early 90s, Andre the Giant was one of my all-time favorites. Not to mention, he is easily one of the reasons The Princess Bride is as memorable as it is.
I watched the documentary this morning and it turned out to be exactly what I thought it would be, both in a good way and a bad way.
I think the thing I liked best about this movie was how Andre's story was told through first-hand accounts of those who knew him, whether it was a fellow wrestler like Hulk Hogan or his daughter. They did a great job of painting a picture of a man who, because of his great size created by a health condition, became famous all around the world but also had a human side.
In fact, hearing about his struggles was the worst part of this documentary. He was a man who struggled to fit in cars, had to pee in a bucket on an airplane because he wouldn't fit in the restrooms and, unlike most celebrities, couldn't hide from the public eye.
Those things were before his health began to decline. I knew he was in a great deal of pain at the end of his life but hearing first-hand accounts of that pain was eye opening. This was especially true of the stories stemming from The Princess Bride, when he needed help to hold Robin Wright in his arms, something you wouldn't think would be the case based on his size and hers and made the sadness really sink in.
My only real complaint about the film is the part about Wrestlemania III. It's an interesting story and all but there were times when it felt like the film was focusing more on Hogan than Andre. I would have liked to have seen that part of the story told more from Andre's point of view, including what he had to go through just to be healthy enough to step into the ring.
Final Opinion: This is a detailed documentary that is very informative but, as part of that, could potentially leave you feeling a bit sad after watching it. I don't think any film is going to do the man's life justice, but this does come somewhat close.
My Grade: A
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