Parents' Guide to

Fittest on Earth: A Decade of Fitness

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Nearly two-hour commercial for CrossFit; some cursing.

Movie NR 2017 127 minutes
Fittest on Earth: A Decade of Fitness Poster Image

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What's the Story?

FITTEST ON EARTH: A DECADE OF FITNESS is a slick documentary commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Reebok CrossFit Games, a competition that produces male and female winners billed as the "fittest on earth." The participants are generally adherents of the CrossFit training method, which is a closely controlled workout brand. Camera crews follow several athletes apparently deemed most likely to finish in the top four of the male and female divisions. They're seen training at home and on the field competing.

Is It Any Good?

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Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This movie feels like a nearly two-hour commercial for the CrossFit workout brand. To the degree that Fittest on Earth: A Decade of Fitness qualifies as a documentary, production values are understandably good, since the CrossFit team of producers spent enough money to buy great camera work. Since they were also the producers of the event, those camera people had plenty of access to the athletes and venues. But editing may have been where they stinted on talent. Neither content nor story quality would have suffered from a 30-minute trim. And out-of-sequence cuts to biographical segments on individual athletes seem overlong and misplaced.

There have been reports that CrossFit adherents suffer lots of injuries, and there has been speculation that, as in bodybuilding, performance-enhancing drug use exists. Reebok CrossFit Games have a strict drug-testing policy, but so do professional baseball, bike-racing, and football, and no one believes those sports are clean. As far as narrative goes, an episode of American Ninja Warrior, which this closely resembles, feels far more cohesive.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the obsessiveness of world-class athletes and their training and eating regimens in Fittest on Earth: A Decade of Fitness. What other areas of life do you think such discipline could be applied to?

  • The athletes depicted here want to be "the best" in their field. Do you think it's helpful to set high goals? Why or why not?

  • What qualities must you have to be a world-class athlete? How much do you think is hard work and how much is natural ability?

Movie Details

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