Power Unlimited Movie Review

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TweetMovie Review: Power Unlimited
By Chip Conrad
For www.EliteFTS.com


After viewing a movie involving a topic close to the heart, one can’t help but think what they would have done differently. That, of course, ran through my mind and probably a dozen more of the minds in the packed movie house while we watched Iron Bug’s new documentary on powerlifting, Power Unlimited.

When I followed those thoughts through to their logical conclusion, I realized that the theoretical movie I created in my head would have sucked compared to this film. Somehow, within the time constraints of a standard feature film, Gabe Sorenson and his crew took us through the history of powerlifting, beginning with Paul Anderson. They brought us into modern lifting dramas and stories that highlighted the sport without making a single participant seem like the stereotypical meathead.

The calm narration, told in a relaxed Endless Summer style, forced the intensity and integrity of the lifters up front. This was a subtle but wise decision that will probably make the film more approachable for a general audience. The pacing of the film was crafty and deceptive, covering much ground quickly while introducing the audience to a respectable cross section of the powerlifting world. Living legends such as Ricky Dale Crain and Ed Coan are joined by a host of other lifters, such as modern champion, Scot Mendelson, and an impressive collection of both men and women like Priscilla Ribick, Ron Morris, Christine Sorenson, Captain Kirk Karwoski, Gene Rychlak, and Bev Francis just to name a few.

The interviews highlight each personality, sometimes through well-humored storytelling, without prompting or Hollywood glitz. For example, Art Ramsey reflects on drunken bench pressing with Lee Moran, and lifters ruminate on the great feats of Ed Coan or Becca Swanson.

A good documentary is not complete without the drama of rivalry, and the Mendelson/Rychlak battle for bench supremacy is one of the biggest in the sport. Or is it? The debate over whether specialized lifters actually qualify as “powerlifters” is thrown around to a handful of lifters within the interviews of both Mendelson and Rychlak and a deeper look into Mendelson’s training, eating (12,000 calories a day!), and family (but no footage of his wife slapping the crap out of him before his bench attempts—I used to love watching that). From Captain Kirk (“what the hell is wrong with squatting?”) to EliteFTS.com writer, Mark “Jackass” Bell, the full-meet lifters chime in at high velocity about the beauty of the squat and the purity of powerlifting as a three-lift competition. Meanwhile, Mendelson fires back boasting about receiving more recognition from doing one-third of the work.

It’s all in good fun, but at least these issues are presented. What is thankfully not presented is the bickering between federations and their members. Although Power Unlimited touched on the controversial productions of the WPO, it didn’t delve with any depth into federation battles and politics, as if to assert through absence that such crap isn’t really what the sport is about. Although only the WPO, IPA, and USPF are represented in the film, I’m guessing that the absence of the USAPL, APA, WABDL, or any of the other half dozen or so federations out there was simply through time constraints.

Rivalry isn’t always against someone else. In fact, the true beauty of powerlifting, which was highlighted with a great amount of respect and appreciation in this film, is the personal rivalries each one of us goes through when we get under the bar. The PR, fought for and coveted by each one of us, is really what the sport is about, especially for those of us who got into the sport for something other than ego.

The personal rivalry of Scott Cartwright, a relative newcomer to the sport, is well documented here. Even with his monster total, we watch him become both empowered and humbled by the same iron that any of us use (just with a few more plates on the bar). And frankly, it’s captivating, especially since we’re invited into his family and work life as well. He speaks for many of us when he states that he doesn’t care who’s in the meet or what other numbers are being put up. He just wants his PR.

Back to my theoretical movie…my movie would have reeked of personal moves and influences due to the emphasis on training styles, the gear-versus-raw debate, big rants on the importance of Chuck Taylor shoes, and tours of iron clubs like Westside and Diablo. Fun stuff for fellow lifters maybe (maybe not) but useless to the general public. However, Power Unlimited is being submitted to film festivals, with the goal to win an award at the Slam Dance Fest in December. The film brings the sport to the masses, making powerlifters look more like normal people but with their passion on their tightly-stretched sleeves, not like freaks.

The standing room only theater was testament to the draw of this “cult” sport. Although northern California was well represented in the audience and in the movie, I know that most folks there weren’t from the immediate area (Sacramento). There were many miles racked up on many odometers that night. While I can’t speak for everyone, my team members and I felt pride in our sport as we left the theater.


Chip Conrad is a published fitness writer and owner of Bodytribe Fitness, a unique fitness center created for the sole intent of the fitness ritual. Using the most advanced conditioning techniques found in Sacramento, Chip enjoys promoting the appreciation and respect for movement.

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