ARNOLD
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Creator: Lesley Chilcott
NICK
Arnold is Netflix's second collaboration (FUBAR being the first) with the famous Austrian, and it's certainly the better of the two projects. Arnold Schwarzenegger (often seen relaxing with a cigar) goes through the three main phases of his life from bodybuilding to acting to politics, and he does so openly and honestly…for the most part. Arnold is often painted in a bright light here, so this won't be the doc for you if you're looking for an unbiased take. However, if, like me, you’re drawn to the presence that is Arnold and his unwavering confidence, there’s enough here to create an informative and admirable docuseries.
QUENTIN
I wouldn’t exactly call Arnold a self-aggrandizing vanity project for Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it stays overly positive while only briefly glancing over controversies from the star’s past. My biggest problem, though, is that I didn’t really learn anything new. Obviously, that will vary from person to person, but this documentary plays out like Arnold reading his own Wikipedia page for three hours. It’s not terrible, as Arnold is immensely watchable even as he does nothing more than sit in a chair and smoke a cigar, but this series would have benefited from additional commentaries from his contemporaries and a less sanitized examination of the icon.