Name: Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators
Director: Tony Vainuku, Jared Hess
Released: 2023-06-28T21:20:45

Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators follows the success as well as the eventual fall of American Gladiators, a popular American game show of the ‘90s. The docuseries is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

A man named Johnny Ferraro had an idea for a game show that went on to become American Gladiators, the first show where common people could compete against professionals who were known as “gladiators”.

However, the concept pilot was a disaster, and people did not expect the show to succeed. It was a show that almost did not get made.

The first 13 episodes were also a challenge for the makers, as there were a lot of risks and injuries. They kept trying to improve the show, and soon, it gained popularity. The show ended up having seven seasons as well as spin-offs.

The docuseries features interviews with several people who were involved in the making of the show as well as famous gladiators like Gemini, Nitro, Zap, and more as they discuss their success, experiences, and controversies.

Positives

The docuseries is a treat for the fans of the game show, who not only get to hear behind-the-scenes stories from their favorite gladiators but are also given a detailed account of its rise and eventual fall.

There are five episodes in the docuseries, and yet none of them are dull. As various gladiators talk about their experiences, the audience gets to know each of them better as individuals, not gladiators, and will eventually get interested in their stories.

The animation is a welcome addition to the docuseries, as instead of watching a person narrate a story, the audience gets to watch an animated version of it as it is narrated. Animation as well as archival footage keeps the docuseries entertaining.

Negatives

While the interviews of the gladiators are enjoyable, it is hard to believe everything that they say, as it becomes evident that they are not always reliable narrators. They still take center stage, which raises the question of whether entertainment is the main purpose of the docuseries.

Furthermore, the docuseries is simply a celebration of the popular game show and nothing more. There is a lack of a critical lens, and it often feels like it makes no effort to dig deep.

Verdict

Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators is an entertaining account of a show’s success, but that is all; it does not give the audience much that cannot be found on the internet. However, the fans of American Gladiators might enjoy it.