Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

Brenda The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Ginger Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

dallasryan With any Artist, first and foremost, we love what we do, and we will always keeping doing what we do as artists as it's a part of our soul and our soul is our life. Now with that, it would be a false sense of humbleness to say you don't do it for the fans. As Lips said to the likes of, 'the fans are what keeps us going/alive'(to the likes of). We need an audience to be fully fulfilled as artists. As people we're always looking for that validation hence why we collect friends on Facebook and post photos on their, or why we care about how many views we get on YouTube. It's about getting seen, having validation for your being and your work. And with any Artist, we love what we do, but we want to get seen and get lot's of validation for our work and for who are. And we would like to make money doing what we love as well, no lie to that.With that, That is what the band Anvil has been in search of for 30 plus years. They have some good stuff, but Heavy Metal doesn't cater to everyone. As in Searching for Sugar Man, Rodriguez's songs cater more universally, where as with Heavy Metal, it only caters to some tastes. Myself, I love heavy metal and Anvil sounds great to me!A true testament on what it takes for a band to stick together 30 plus years whether they be successful or not. Showing what it's like to go on tour as a band that has been forgotten(or just some no name band), and showing the ups and downs of friendships within the band, and struggles within their own families. A great documentary to see for anyone who struggles with their dreams as an artist(how us actors can relate especially to the scenes where Lips is taking his demo in to different record companies), and just for anyone in general who has never given up on achieving their dreams. Rock on forever!

E. Catalan "The Story Of Anvil" is a funny, yet touching "rockumentary" about a Canadian heavy metal band that somehow "missed" the boat to success in the early 80's. Myself being a metalhead in my mid 40's I remember reading lots about these guys, yet for some reason, their records were always hard to find and their music mag interviews were scarce. Musically, Anvil played heavy metal stylistically close to New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM)bands such as Saxon, Iron Maiden, Tank, Angel Witch and Motörhead. Those bands were predating the more successful (and more musically extreme) thrash metal movement heralded by Metallica and the rest of the big four. Their most known album, "Metal On Metal" was a decent stab at worldwide success, yet it was a flash in the pan and quickly faded away. With this documentary, those who've heard or knew of Anvil before will finally know the reasons of their falling by the wayside. Although rock and metal fans (and especially musicians) will no doubt enjoy the film, broader audiences will also enjoy the perils the band goes through as they struggle to get their much sought out recognition. There are some very touching moments that have nothing to do with metal and this makes the movie appealing to audiences abroad. For Lips (the band's singer and lead guitar player) and Robb (the drummer) what's more fulfilling than money is the recognition and the acclaim. We're talking middle aged men here, guys that are easily 5 years older than your James Hetfields and Lars Ulrichs, yet their passion for music has gotten stronger. Their story is the story of countless of bands with talent that never got that "golden opportunity". Where as in "This Is Spinal Tap" we laugh at the circumstances, with "The Story Of Anvil" there are moments where you could almost cry, and for those who are musicians in the making or road veterans it will hit you as hard as a freight train.I am sure with this documentary, Anvil the band got more popular than ever and hopefully they will take advantage of this opportunity. If you're a true music fan you will surely enjoy this really entertaining documentary!

afilmaday The questionable quote by Picasso 'Every child is born an artist, the problem is to remain one once they grow up' is important and poignant for artists making that transition from childhood to adulthood. How far will an artist go to keep their dreams alive? What happens if things don't go to plan? How will they support themselves? These are important questions every aspiring artist, musician, actor, writer, filmmaker, animator, designer etc. must consider. Today's feature is a prime example, this is Anvil! The Story of Anvil.Plot: Canadian metal group Anvil are considered the inventors of thrash metal, with many bands citing them as a direct influence, such as Megadeth, Slayer, Metallica and Anthrax, and were a big act in '84, playing alongside Scorpions, Whitesnake and Bon Jovi. Unfortunately were never met with the success that others had and director Sacha Gervasi, self-proclaimed 'number one Anvil fan of Britain', documents the struggling band as they approach their 50s still chasing their dreams.Metal fans everywhere will view the movies introductory interviews with Lemmy, Lars Ulrich, Slash and many other megastars as a brief subjective history lesson. It introduces Anvil's significance to the genre and heavily glorifies the band. It then dramatically juxtaposes with the celebration of lead vocalist Lips' 50th birthday with the band playing in a bar in Canada emphasising the lack of commercial success they should have had. This contrast sets the tone of being a true underdog story and we are then presented with their ups & downs throughout.This documentary is not unflinching or gritty realistic that one might expect, but director Sacha Gervasi brilliantly sets the tone to match that of the band; Lips' natural optimism, drummer Robb Reiner's endless patience and newcomers' support for their dreams. He edits the movie in such a fashion that one is only aware of it upon reflection; their first gig at Sweden Rock festival, Lips interacts with those whom he admires including Michael Schenker and Tommy Aldridge, which makes Anvil relatable and much like regular fans. At the same festival, two Japanese fans approach them, one of them labelled as an 'original Anvil fan', a foreshadowing to the climatic gig in Japan, where it appears they have a very large fan base. During their European tour, it presents the issues of their passionate but poor manager Tiziana Arrigoni who gives the band empty venues, un-paying owners and poor accommodations; the first gig in Sweden went perfect, second gig in Prague was troublesome, with a lawyer in attendance telling them they are being conned by their "shit manager", and final gig in Transylvania, being told 5,000 people are to show and only 174 do so. It was a 34 day tour, yet presented in a typical 3-Act story structure. This is not an attack or a negative comment, but Gervasi made these creative choices to give them necessary exposure and admiration the band rightfully deserves. If he had made it fully realistic, then the tone would contrast to the tone of the band and appear like an attack or putdown.It has moments of sadness when Lips is presented almost as a victim, with a clearly unsupportive but tolerant family, and this presentation of victimisation manipulates the spectator into siding with Anvil. The constant rejections from record labels and some hope with old producer Chris Tsangarides all give perfect plot points to structure this brilliant true-life underdog story.Anvil! The Story of Anvil is accessible to everyone for it does not rely on its audiences' prior knowledge to the genre. Anyone involved with the arts must watch this portrayal of artists struggling to get by and do what they love. Yes, it is manipulative for structural purposes but the message is loud; doing what you love involves plenty of sacrifice and will not always end how you wanted it. High recommendation for anyone wanting a great underdog documentary.

Boba_Fett1138 Heavy metal really isn't my thing and also full length documentaries aren't always. So I was a bit worried a might end up not liking this documentary at all but instead it surprised me with how much I loved it by the end.This is not a pretentious documentary that takes an artistic approach and sets up certain moments. It instead is a very humane and honest one, focusing on its persons, that takes a snappy approach and tells its story in such an incredible engaging way. It's a documentary that will make you laugh and is fun to watch throughout but it's also one that plays with all of your other emotions as well and might make you cry.Secret to this is because we get very close to the documentary its very likable subjects, who after 30 years are still chasing their dreams. Normally you would expect a documentary to be made about a band that's successful or on the rise. A documentary about how against all odds they made it to the top but not this documentary. Here we instead have a band that against all odds never made it. Chances are you never heard of the band Anvil before, while in fact they were one of the earliest heavy metal bands, that also influenced many other big and well known bands. It doesn't stop the band from playing and still being hopeful at a breakthrough though.Their lack of success has certain kept the band members humble and down to Earth, though at the same time their hunger for recognition also makes them blind at times. It makes you think about when chasing a dream can be a great and wonderful thing and when it's simply time to stop trying and accept that some things aren't meant to be. This is also a question that rises up multiple times throughout this documentary, mostly by the family and loved ones of the main two band members, who also started the band originally, Steve 'Lips' Kudlow and Robb Reiner. They are well in their 50's and all have a family to take care off as well, without a steady job or a bank full with money. Is it still responsible to keep chasing your dreams by then? Watch this documentary and judge for yourself.It's not so much a documentary that looks at the past but instead at the future but by focusing on the now. We don't just get to see interviews with the band members sitting around, we get to see them touring, all over the world, earning basically no money and facing lots of other struggles, hoping for that one gig that will mean their road to success and their singing with a big record label. It's a very inspiring documentary, even if you have absolutely nothing with music at all.A both foremost fun and extremely engaging emotional documentary to watch, about real people still chasing their dreams.9/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/