There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Still passionate as ever about their music, the two original members of 80s heavy metal band Anvil continue to try to recapture the fame they once had in this documentary from Sacha Gervasi (director of the film 'Hitchcock' with Anthony Hopkins). As one of the musicians' wives says, they have kept "dreaming that dream" despite fading into obscurity and never achieving the recognition of bands like Metallica who they inspired. Now in their fifties, the two men hold regular day jobs and play whatever gigs they can on the side, while still recording albums to sell directly to their fans, since the demand is still there. While their never-ending passion is interesting, watching the pair argue while going from one low paying gig to the next is not particularly fascinating. Same goes for a sequence that follows one of the rockers while he tries to make it as a phone salesman. More history on the band may have been beneficial, with the film skirting over the period in between their 1980s fame and the present day, but when focused on the hurdles faced by them in the present, it is fairly compelling stuff. The interviews with their wives really enhance the material too, highlighting what their families have had to put up with as a result of their undying dreams of renewed fame and glory. Their music is also very decent, if only ever heard every now and again.

Released in 2009 and directed by Sacha Gervasi, "Anvil: The Story of Anvil" is a documentary chronicling the Toronto metal band Anvil, focusing on the friendship and aspirations of the two main band members, singer/guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner. The band formed in the late 70s as Lips, but changed their name to Anvil upon obtaining a record deal in 1981. The mid-80s were a good time for the young band and they were expected to go on to great success, but it was not to be. Guitarist Dave Allison left the band in 1989 followed by bassist Ian Dickson in 1993. But Steve & Robb soldiered on with new members, releasing album after album up to the present (16 studio albums altogether, as of this writing). When the film was shot, Ivan Hurd was the second guitarist with Glenn "Glenn Five" Gyorffy on bass. Both are featured in the movie while original members Allison and Dickson are featured in the deleted scenes on the DVD (their scenes shouldn't have been cut IMHO).This is a great inspirational documentary whether you like Anvil and metal/hard rock or not. I really like the band, but never heard their stuff until 2009 when I rented the 1988 movie Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers," which features two songs from Anvil's 1987 album STRENGTH OF STEEL, the catchy "Straight Between the Eyes" and "Wild Eyes." One critic claimed that their 1982 album METAL ON METAL was their best-selling recording, but that's simply not true, STRENGTH OF STEEL was; and, although it's maligned by some fans, it's easily one of their top albums and not "too commercial," as some erroneously contend (check out songs like "Concrete Jungle," "Paper General," "Kiss of Death" and the aforementioned "Straight Between the Eyes").Anvil were just as good in their own unique way as any of the so-called Big Four, Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth. If you don't believe me, check out their top albums, like WORTH THE WEIGHT (the album being recorded in the movie, THIS IS THIRTEEN, is actually NOT one of their better recordings, song-wise, nor is the follow-up JUGGERNAUT OF JUSTICE). So why didn't Anvil AT LEAST attain the success of the secondary bands of the Big Four (i.e. Megadeth and Slayer)? Cheap production of their 80's albums may be one reason, although the production wasn't THAT bad for the era and certainly listenable; it was superior, for instance, to the production of albums by the contemporary Venom. Perhaps their location had something to do with their inability to reach the next level, but then how did Rush (another Toronto-based band) become so successful? (Then again, Rush switched from prog metal/rock to pop rock in the 80s). Bad management is likely another possibility. The reason is probably a combination of factors, including the band's sense of humor, Lips' outrageous antics and their sometimes goofy or juvenile lyrics (e.g. "Straight Between the Eyes"). In any case, this is a great documentary on the travails of trying to make it in a struggling rock/metal band. Their European tour shows that the lifestyle is difficult and takes dedication, to say the least: They miss trains, arrive late at a club in Prague because they were lost, play before small non-crowds, don't get paid and are offered goulash as a substitute. At a festival in Transylvania with a 10,000-seat capacity only 174 people show up. While there are certainly some high points on their tour it's mostly terrible. Steve, ever the optimist, responds, "Everything on the tour went drastically wrong. But at least there was a tour for it to go wrong on."I know of a local struggling metal band, by the way, that's currently touring Europe and I'm sure they're facing the exact same kinds of challenges.Anvil's family members are loyal, but think maybe they should throw in the towel. Yet Steve & Robb march forward in faith. A famous producer decides to produce their next album THIS IS THIRTEEN (2007), but it's going to cost thousands of dollars. Where are they going to get the money? And how are they going to release the album without a record contract? A Japanese promoter shows interest in having them play at a festival, but will more than a handful of fans show up?Then you have Steve and Robb's great friendship, which is seriously tested at times, like during the stress of recording their new album in England: Tempers flare, one quits in frustration and the other apologizes. Will they stay together? "Anvil: The Story of Anvil" is an entertaining lesson on faith in one's calling, perseverance, friendship, teamwork, glory/humility and the nature of true success. The film doesn't wear out its welcome at 80 minutes.GRADE: A-

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!

Anvil: The Story of Anvil (Sacha Gervasi, 2008) is a sweet little documentary about the forgotten '80s metal band, seen playing to audiences in double figures, still waiting for the break that never came. It's been hailed as one of the best films of recent years and the best documentaries of all time, which is frankly pushing it, but it's a fine film, with plenty of heart alongside the abundant humour. And though it begins like a spoof - drummer Robb Reiner even shares his name with the director of This Is Spinal Tap - by the end you'll be willing the group to succeed, rather than smirking at their increasing ill-fortune. The film's focus is on frontman Lips - an eternally optimistic dreamer who rocks by night, but delivers children's school lunches by day - and childhood pal Robb, the band's drummer. As they tour Europe then travel to London to record their 13th album, we pay witness to their deep and lasting friendship, punctuated as it is by bouts of yelling and violence.There's one particularly telling, hilarious moment when Robb speaks about the gold drumsticks he wears round his neck, given to him by his father, an Auschwitz survivor. "My father was a jeweller and he gave these to me when I was 13 years old, as a gift. And I've never had them off from round my neck since they were given to me," he says. "Except the odd time I've had a few scraps with Lips and he's ripped them off my neck and stuff, but I've always repaired it, you know." Later on, they come to blows in the kitchen of their recording studio and Lips decides he's had enough, petulantly telling the director that Robb is "fired". They're a likable pair, with a passion for music that's truly invigorating - even inspirational. A particularly memorable passage has Lips bothering his heroes at a rock festival. "Do you remember that? I played with a woman's vibrator," he tells guitarist Michael Schenker, in a way that somehow makes those words endearing. Schenker gives him a bemused smile.Directed by fan and former Anvil roadie Gervasi, the film also finds time to meet the band's loyal followers. They include a sales executive - responsible for sponsoring Lips' short, unhappy sojourn into the world of telemarketing - and the Swiss-Italian Tiziana, who appoints herself as the band's manager via email and organises the European tour, complete with a gig to just 17 people and another where payment comes in goulash. Their fervour - like that of the band - is truly infectious, backed up by insightful interviews with the group's families. The scene where Lips' elder sister forks out the money for their new album, saying that all she has ever wanted "is for him to be happy", adds further weight to a film positively crammed with pathos.The whole thing climaxes in truly winning fashion. I didn't go in expecting to find myself desperate for a happy, heartwarming ending, but having been through the wringer with the band, I was. My only real quibble is with the brevity of the film: more than 300 hours of footage condensed into 80 minutes. It covers the main ground well, sometimes delving deeper than you might expect, but is slightly lacking in context, detailing little of the band's decline from 1984 to 2005, and is inconsistent in where it decides to elaborate. Despite that slight shortcoming, Gervasi has collected a veritable treasure trove of footage and is a skillful storyteller, transcending his film's apparent limitations to confound non-metal fans (myself included) with his portrait of hopeless, dildo-wielding dreamers.