André the Giant (2018)

Starring: André the Giant (archival footage), Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, Jerry “The King” Lawler, Dave Meltzer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Billy Crystal, Rob Reiner, Ric Flair, Tim White, Pat Patterson, “Mean” Gene Okerlund, Cary Elwes, and Robin Wright
Grade: A-

There are a lot of professional wrestlers that have lived interesting and eventful lives. However, very few are as captivating as André the Giant.

Summary

This in-depth documentary covers everything about André’s life. It starts with his early family life, with interviews coming from André’s siblings (all normal-sized people if you were wondering). Next, it gets into when he got into professional wrestling, showing early footage of when he started training as a wrestler in the 1960s. Later, we jump to when he dominated the “territory era” of wrestling and how much his popularity grew during this time frame, becoming the biggest star attraction in the country (literally and figuratively). Eventually, we get to see how instrumental he was in helping Vince McMahon make the WWF into a national promotion and his big part in helping wrestling crossover to the mainstream media.

Additionally, we see the sad end to his life and career, and the legacy he left behind as a result.

My Thoughts:

André the Giant is very well done for those that aren’t aware of the iconic figure.

However, I’m already a big wrestling fan and have seen countless interviews and specials on the life and career of the greatest big man in the history of wrestling. With me watching and knowing already so much, I can’t give it a flawless grade because very little of this was new to me. For wrestling fans reading this, keep that in mind before you watch the documentary. Regardless, it’s still very good, and it was very cool to hear from the cast and crew of The Princess Bride as well as André’s family, among others. I just know too much about his general life already to not be too surprised about anything. With that being said, those unfamiliar with André will probably be floored at his story and really appreciate the legend that he is. He was a genuine man, but he went through a lot.

Can you imagine being looked at like you’re a freak your entire life?

That’s the feeling André went through daily. It’s hard not to feel bad for him. Can you imagine never being able to fit on an airplane, but your job requires you to travel almost daily? That’s just the tip of the iceberg when you’re 7’4”, 500 pounds. In one interview, André says that though we make accommodations for people that are blind or cripple or whatever else, we don’t do anything for people that are big. This actually got me thinking a little bit. He’s kind of right, and it just puts you again in the shoes of the giant, wondering how he must’ve felt at all times. Also, because of his constant traveling and lifestyle, he didn’t have much of a relationship with his daughter, who they also interview. It can get very sad if you didn’t know a lot about him beforehand. The pain in his eyes in those later years of his career and retirement are evident. The photos and video footage shown of him during this time period in his life are truly heartbreaking.

On the lighter side, there’s a lot of very entertaining sections too, such as Hulk Hogan telling stories about how André hated the “Macho Man” Randy Savage and The Iron Sheik (and he hits us with two incredible impressions of both men), the whole section about how legendary his farts were, and of course, his lauded ability to drink. Though I’m sure you’ve heard about these stories on random comment threads on Reddit or something, it’s still just as entertaining to hear others tell the stories of his drinking escapades. Honestly, they could do a documentary on André’s drinking stories in and of itself. Jerry “The King” Lawler is quoted as saying André would start the night drinking a minimum 24 pack of beer. Ric Flair said that together, the two drank 106 beers in one night. Another said André would regularly consume 7,000 calories of alcohol a night! That is insane, but I don’t doubt it for a second!

He was also big with the ladies too. I’ve heard this before, but I have more questions about that than answers.

His impact in wrestling is immeasurable and a good portion of the documentary is taken up by the main event surrounding WrestleMania III between him and Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. Obviously, it was very important and the story leading up to it was very interesting, but I felt like they spent a little too much time on Hogan to explain the situation. I understand having to explain to the audience who Hulk Hogan was to show why this was such a big event, but it just felt like they put a little too much emphasis on Hogan’s career in a documentary about the giant. Plus, who doesn’t know Hulk Hogan at this point? Do we really have to tell the audience how big he was?

André the Giant is a very good documentary on one of wrestling’s biggest stars. Though it may not be anything too new for wrestling fans, it can still be exciting because of the footage used that many have not seen and all the people that are interviewed to talk about crossing paths with the icon. For new fans, or people interested in another giant that suffered from acromegaly, this can be an enthralling experience that feels as large as the life that André Roussimoff lived.