Dorian Yates: The Original Mass Monster

Dorian Yates: The Original Mass Monster is an engaging 2019 documentary capturing the life and career of the legendary British bodybuilder, Dorian Yates. This gripping film, featuring personalities like Chris Cormier, Jay Cutler, and King Kamali, provides an in-depth look into the hardcore training and determined discipline that shaped one of the world's most accomplished bodybuilders.

From the timeless era of raw and rugged bodybuilding, the film vividly paints a picture with thousands of brush strokes, recounting the high and low points of Yates’s journey. His remarkable transformation from an ordinary working-class lad born in Hurley, Staffordshire, England to becoming a six-time Mr. Olympia champion forms the heart of this compelling narrative.

This feature-length documentary takes a deep dive into Yates's life, focusing not only on his professional career, but also his rough upbringing, personal trials and tribulations, and ultimate retirement. The film tirelessly explores the nuances of Yates's personality, illuminating his vulnerabilities, challenges, and eventual triumphs. The struggles he faced, particularly during his teenage years at a detention center, magnificently contrasts with the success he found in bodybuilding, creating an awe-inspiring transformational story.

Mainly set against the backdrop of the 90s, the golden age of bodybuilding, the film offers a fascinating chronicle of how Yates revolutionized the sport. The sheer magnitude of his groundbreaking training tactics, known as High-Intensity Training (HIT), which involved shorter, more intense workouts, and his hermit-like dedication to his sport, have all been vividly captured.

Dorian Yates: The Original Mass Monster features not only the in-depth interviews of Yates, but also compelling inputs and anecdotes from an array of the bodybuilding’s top personalities. Renowned bodybuilder and four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, professional bodybuilder player Chris Cormier, and King Kamali, another well-known professional in the field, enrich the narrative with their personal experiences and insights on Yates's career. Their perspectives offer an multifaceted view of Yates and adds depth to his story.

Furthermore, the film provides a detailed account of the pioneering advancements introduced by Yates to the sport. His relentless pursuit of perfecting his physique through unyielding discipline, hardcore training regimes, state of the art nutrition plans, and scientific supplementation are presented in a nuanced manner. The film is as much a study on bodybuilding and literally 'massive' contribution Yates made to it as it is the personal journey of the man himself.

One of the selling points of the movie is its honesty. It holds no barriers, touching upon Yates's abrupt retirement, his introduction to hallucinogens after withdrawal from the sport, his journey towards introspection, and metamorphosis into a Yogi. He even touches upon his life after bodybuilding as a gym owner and mentor. The audience is sure to appreciate such candor, making Dorian Yates: The Original Mass Monster a must-watch feature.

The pacing and the storytelling are beautifully handled, providing a meticulously compiled chronicle of Yates's career while also giving a panoramic view of the evolution of bodybuilding as a sport, making it engaging enough for those who are not fans of the sport.

In a nutshell, Dorian Yates: The Original Mass Monster manages to encapsulate the tale of a man who, armed with an iron will and sheer determination, managed to leave an indelible mark on the world of bodybuilding. At its heart, it is an inspiring story of human resilience, challenge, and victory against all odds, effectively transcending the sport of bodybuilding. This is a documentary that appeals to everyone, irrespective of whether they are a fan of bodybuilding or not.