Arnold Review: From Gold's Gym To Being The Governator

Bodybuilder, actor, and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger has crammed a whole lot of living into his 75 years on this planet — more living than could possibly be contained in a single documentary. Netflix's "Arnold" tells the story of Schwarzenegger in three hour-long episodes, following his life chronologically and his ascent through three separate careers. The intimate series uses interviews with those close to Arnold, but focuses most on Arnold himself, creating a documentary that feels something like an autobiography. This is Arnold on Arnold, and though it celebrates his successes and tries to paint him in a positive light, the series also doesn't shy away from his failures. Schwarzenegger faces his "f***-ups" head-on and is surprisingly candid; some audiences will find it to be too little, too late, but this reviewer was won over by what seems like a genuine desire for personal accountability. 

Fans looking for deep dives into Schwarzenegger's film career with lots of behind-the-scenes anecdotes might be disappointed by the series, but there are some fun stories about the making of "Twins," "True Lies," and "The Terminator." Instead of focusing on who Schwarzenneger is to the world, the series tries to show us how he has viewed himself through all of these evolutions, for better and worse. In the hands of another director, it might have seemed entirely self-serving and vain, but with Lesley Chilcott's steady hand and Schwarzenegger's own raw earnestness, "Arnold" feels like the closest any of us will ever get to the man without knowing him personally. 

The first episode of "Arnold" starts with his youth in Thal, Austria, and follows his rising star as a bodybuilder. In intimate conversations with Schwarzenegger, he reveals that he spent much of his childhood and teenage years feeling like he wasn't good enough and that he always had to strive for more. Bodybuilding became an outlet for Schwarzenegger's obsession with greatness at first, before becoming an escape from his pain when his brother died drunk driving and his father died from a stroke within fairly rapid succession. Schwarzenegger turned to his work, becoming a total workaholic so he didn't have to think about anything. That work ethic helped him become one of the most famous bodybuilders in the world, but it also took its toll on his mental health and well-being. 

The early parts of his life are shown mostly through old family photos and videos, and Schwarzenegger's voiceover, with a handful of archival videos from his bodybuilding days filling in the gaps. The first episode is plenty entertaining but doesn't feel like a particularly deep dive into who Arnold is or who he will become. He's refreshingly honest about his steroid use as a bodybuilder, but also comments that he did it with the help of doctors and that it was something everyone did. The episode is fine and hints at more depth, but might not be enough to keep audiences hooked. It's good background information, but it's not all that compelling. Thankfully, the following two episodes step things up. 

The second episode follows Schwarzenegger's rise to movie stardom, and it's the most star-studded of the episodes. Interviews with the late Ivan Reitman, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Danny DeVito all reveal a bit of Schwarzenegger's personality and just how impressive he seems to be. After gaining a bit of fame with the "Conan the Barbarian" films, Schwarzenegger would film "The Terminator," which launched his career and an entire massive franchise. The origin of the classic line "I'll be back" is revealed by none other than Cameron himself, with plenty of expletives for flavor. Cameron also imitates Arnold, which is honestly worth the cost of admission in and of itself.

Curtis reveals the story of her being cast in "True Lies," and thanks Schwarzenegger for allowing her to take top billing alongside him, which launched her career, but the sweetest of the Hollywood stories comes from Reitman, who tells the story of how he met the Austrian actor while skiing in Aspen, Colorado. According to Reitman, Arnold told him, "I could have been a Ghostbuster," and that was his way of saying he wanted to act in a comedy. The movie "Twins" happened as a result of that conversation, and it went on to be the first movie of Schwarzenegger's to break 100 million at the box office.

Of the three episodes, the second is the most celebratory of its subject and his career(s), though thankfully it never goes too overboard, and the third episode forces audiences to accept that Arnold is flawed. 

The third episode follows Arnold's run as governor of California and addresses his flaws throughout both his governorship and his life. He addresses and apologizes for the sexual harassment and groping accusations that came out during his campaign for governor, and the doc doesn't shy away from how poorly he handled the accusations at the time. He also addresses how much being governor strained his family because he was away from them, and this leads to his divorce from Maria Shriver when she discovered that he had cheated on her in 1996 with a household staff member and had a son. Of all the failures Arnold apologizes for in the episode, this is the one that he seems the most heartbroken over. He calls cheating on his ex-wife his greatest failure and seems truly humbled by all that had happened. 

The last part shows Arnold in his daily life, taking care of his dog and mini-donkey and cleaning out the donkey's stall because it centers him. The moments with him and his animals are incredibly charming and help sell the idea that he's a softer, wiser man. One of the most surprising moments is when he says a list of things people have called him that he doesn't mind, but he gets upset if someone calls him a "self-made man." He then goes on to talk about all of the people who helped him get to where he is, and that humility and authenticity is refreshing. "Arnold" isn't going to blow anyone's mind or reveal any shocking secrets, but it is a charming and entertaining look at the rise and life of one of the world's biggest celebrities.

"Arnold" is streaming on Netflix starting June 7, 2023.