Man in the Arena (2021– ) User Reviews

This is so good.

[underscoremikecastaneda · 10/10 · 26 June 2022]

This has been out since November 2021 and I had zero desire to watch it because I had no idea it was gonna be any good at all. Then I saw on my Disney one day and decided just to chime into the first episode. After the first episode I was like oh this is good stuff I'm gonna watch the rest. Blew through all the rest of the episodes and it's so good that I can't even think of a way to say how good it is in a multitude of ways, other than to say "this is so good". Brady's work ethic. Bradys philosophical approach. Brady's relationship with his family, his kids, his players, his career. It's easy to see why so many people I know tell me they hate Brady. It's because he seems too perfect. Well he's not perfect. No human being is. But he works and tries to be the best he can be in every way. Work work work. Literally how life works. How can you not appreciate and admire somebody who just does their best to do the right thing? That does the work? This is an easy 10.

So many other great things to say about this aside from all that. Clips of the so-called sports prognosticators totally getting it wrong over and over again. That never gets old. Great insights from players coaches trainers. Just so much great stuff. Easy 10.

Amazing

[INhUMANE · 10/10 · 17 November 2021]

Great start. Excellent look into Bradys success. I can't wait for episode 2. Make sure you check this out.

Brady has once again proved why he is number one and why the NFL is locked down.

One of the best Sports Documentaries I've seen

[slowride50 · 10/10 · 4 May 2022]

Let me start off by saying I'm not American, and I'm not into (American) football. But this documentary is amazing. And I still don't know what a "tight end" is. Doesn't sound too good if you're one of those. It's probably better than being a "loose end" I would assume. But still this story gives such an amazing insight into an incredible athlete. Every episode is as good as the other. You'll enjoy watching this and it will be inspiring and also insightful for any sports fan.

I'm waiting for the next 9 episodes. Hope they're working on it (probably not)

I may be the only unbiased reviewer.

[qbrtmgy · 9/10 · 12 January 2022]

I enjoyed this for what it is. I'm not a football fan, but I appreciate any individual who strives to meet challenges and be at the top of their game. Successful people are successful for a reason and insight into that is always interesting. Being in the public eye has its unique challenges and I have gained respect for Brady on how he balances his profession, his family and his health. As a fan of alternative medicine, I really enjoyed the dive into his "health guru " and injury recovery. Good stuff.

Legendary

[mikenima · 10/10 · 22 November 2021]

This is the type of documentary that you'll appreciate more and watch again after he retires. The league will never be the same without Tom Brady. Absolutely Legend, the greatest of all time.

As a Sportsfan i think everyone will enjoy this

[wmcq-25947 · 9/10 · 13 January 2022]

Being from the UK im like most on our side of the pond, we are loyal and love only our football, not too clued up really in the NFL or NBA but know the main players and Brady is definetly one.

Even if its not my favourite sport ill watch most documentarys on sporting legends its always fascinating to see what fuels them and keeps the fire going. Brady in the mould of Michael Jordan, Messi, Woods,Ronaldo, Hamilton found a way to pull it out the bag in the big moments thats what makes these guys iconic.

Hahaha Brady Haters

[goldo-35619 · 10/10 · 16 February 2022]

I'm feeding off all the Brady haters tears in here haha they are ridiculous. Not quite on the same level as The Last Dance but still amazing. Long story short if you're a fan of Brady, Nfl or just inspiring people you'll love this. If you're a Brady hater obviously you won't, just keep crying elsewhere nobody cares. The only thing I disliked was the weird cuts to random oceans and animals, just didn't really make sense to me lol but I loved it.

Epic. Period. Really a Goat Documentation.

[CharlyWaffles · 10/10 · 7 April 2022]

Five stars. Just watch it. Trust me. One of the best sport-documentations i've ever seen. In so many ways. Simply a master peace. Wether you love football or not. ;)

New TB Fan

[mike-604-414653 · 9/10 · 11 January 2022]

I've spent the better part of 20 years hating this man. From his first super bowl beating my Rams to listening to my ex incessantly drone on and on about her favorite team and that "pretty boy", I hated this man. There's no way he's THAT perfect, THAT nice of a guy, worthy of a super model, REALLY that person...but it seems he is...at least from what they've shown of him...lol.

I've developed a new found appreciation for Tom Brady. Of course those who already love TB will love the documentary but for those who can see through the BS naysayers, I think you'll enjoy the mini-series.

You might learn a few things about him personally. The cameos by various teammates was neat to see. It would have been cool to see a handful of other former teammates as well as his competitors. His HOF enshrinement will be interesting to see. I'm sure there will be PLENTY of TB stories when he retires...hope I'm still alive to see it... Lol.

Amazing start to an amazing story!

[jyoder62 · 10/10 · 16 November 2021]

This documentary is next level. Yes I live in New England and yes I am a long time fan of Brady. But this documentary is brilliantly set up, written and directed. It does a great job of showcasing the story of the season and every involved and it's not just a shine to Brady. If you are a football lover in any form then you will enjoy this series! 10/10.

Love him or hate him: he's the GOAT

[jralex12 · 9/10 · 11 January 2022]

This is a great documentary however it's all old information. If you follow Tom or the Patriots or just the NFL for that matter, you know all this stuff. It really wasn't until episode 8 where you hear Gronk talk about how miserable he was. Once again that wasn't too surprising either simply because he retired. But then came back.

As a Pats fan it's a cool recap of the last 20 years. It's fun to see in depth looks but it would be nice to have deep insights. What did you think about spygate? What happened with deflategate? What did you think about Malcolm Butler not playing in the super bowl against the Eagles? You told us what's great about Belichick, tell us stuff you don't like.

Of course Brady won't answer those questions as it will most likely tarnish his legacy but that's what could make this series great instead of good.

If you're not a fan of his or look at the patriots as I look at the Yankees then do yourself a favor and don't watch. Stay away from it. Your negative opinion isn't going to change the FACT that he's the goat and your favorite player isn't.

Good documentary but so cheesy

[csfrazer-16985 · 7/10 · 14 May 2022]

If you like football then it's a great tribute to one of the greatest players and teams. But, it is incredibly cheesy- some of the quotes, the interviews, the cut sequences are at times cringe-worthy.

Definitely worth a watch.

Why do this documentary at all

[cbarneey · 2/10 · 28 January 2022]

I am a long time Patriots fan ---long before Brady appeared on the scene but this documentary stinks. There is nothing new here that hasn't been talked about before even in sound bites or longer stories/interviews. I kept waiting for some insight here. While I respect anybody's privacy that is in the limelight, but if you are going to make a documentary, don't open the door and then slam it in the viewers faces saying its nobody's business.

Because it ended with his stint in New England and doesn't cover Tampa at all, maybe this was his way of saluting New England. Who knows, but it was just clips of everything you heard and saw over the years. I always thought that his personality was like plastic in interviews and maybe a product of Belichick's rules but this shows just how plastic he is. Hell, I could give the after game interviews because they are all the same talking about how this player works hard for us, and that player shows up and does everything we ask of him and boy our opponents are a great team....blah blah blah.

Tell us something we did not know. And for anyone still bashing deflategate--read the Wells report--the whole thing and remember the second half of that game where the accusations were made and how his numbers went up after the ref's adjusted the PSI and how he continues to mystify still playing at a high level today. If you are going to cheat go big. But 1-2 PSI? Cmon give me something here.

Great show for getting into the mindset of a champion

[dougsmith-00589 · 9/10 · 20 December 2021]

Good insight into the career of Tom Brady. How he mentally prepares, handles the media, overcomes obstacles. Obviously a great show to watch for anyone who has played sports or still plays sports and is intrigued by the mentality of an all-time great and how he has prepared and evolved over the years.

Oh only biased reviews

[sfernandez-79943 · 9/10 · 29 November 2021]

Very simple. If you like Brady you'll love Man in the Arena. We need honesty here, I love Brady so I find the episodes so emotional... Sports are about passion and it's hard to write a balanced opinion when your fanatic side is so strong.

If you don´t like him, just don't watch it. Quite manichean.

Super Interesting and Fun to Watch!

[jaketorv · 10/10 · 2 April 2022]

If you're a football fan in general, I really think you would like this series. Looking at the GOATS career from this angle is very interesting and gets me hyped for football season again.

The only negative to this series is that there is some heavy language. I know of a few people that would be very interested in watching this series, but I cannot recommend it to them because of the "f" bombs. Which is unfortunate.

Language aside, this is a great way to learn about Tom Brady's career. If you're a Brady hater, this might not be the best show for you, but if you can watch it with an open mind I think you'd enjoy it as much as the next person.

As a huge Brady fan, having watched most games in his career,

[daddysarm · 8/10 · 13 June 2022]

I can marginally recommend this. I MOSTLY loved it, but I already mostly remember the story of each season, the winning ones, the less-so ones, the SB wins, the SB losses (____ the giants, ha ha). I also remember every guest nfl player they had. So, I MOSTLY loved it. However, if you weren't a Brady / Pats fan, it is probably hit or miss, because

the first 5 minutes of each episode are annoying

the guy's voice at beginning of each episode is 2x annoying

the quick shots of water drops, flowers, and other symbolic/zen/new-agey things are bizarre.

And why in the world does he give so much publicity to the loud-mouths on cable TV talk shows who said dumb stuff for years, only to be proven wrong again and again. I know Tom likes to prove his haters wrong, and he probably thinks he's rubbing their face in it by putting their voices in this, but NO. Those people were and are obnoxious fools. Just hearing their voices is 3x annoying.

Why no TommyBay players as guests? Strange that.

A legend in the making.

[BigSoulDiva · 7/10 · 7 December 2021]

You can't deny Tom Brady has an extraordinary legacy in a uniquely violent sport. This personal account skews away from a hard dissection of his persona and character complexities, but it is tremendous fun to relive this history. Love or hate him, he won't be forgotten.

Lame

[wadekobe-79288 · 1/10 · 6 December 2021]

Why give a cheater a documentary I don't know why but go off. The story is lame and just away for espn + to add content for a already limited selection. The story will over dramatize a lot of unimpressive looking stuff he has done I mean look at the last flag fest super bowl. Pass on the doc.

It's decent but sterile

[ajhyndman-19494 · 7/10 · 15 April 2022]

I'm not a NFL fan, more into soccer (REAL FOOTBALL). I enjoyed it, but it's a bit bland from Brady, maybe that's who he is, he's obviously a once in a lifetime QB. It's absolutely nowhere near the quality of the last dance, and I say that as not a fan of either sport or the main characters.

Great story and interviews, horrible direction

[Pill5ger · 6/10 · 6 February 2024]

Story and interviews are really good, but appear mainly as cameos speaking of how great Tom Brady was. Very few interviews speak to both sides of his character. Footage from old games are good and relevant, but the cutaways to nature and real world events are super cringeworthy which makes the documentary worse.

Bar the horrible cutaways the documentary lacks enough substance to be on the level of Beckham, Senna and other great sports documentaries. I don't think there are interviews with enough relevant opponents which shaped that team. Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Bill Belicheck and others that relevant people throughout his career don't get to say their piece on what they thought about Tom Brady and his evolution. Spectators don't get to say their piece on the cultural phenomenon that was the Patriots in the ealry 2000s.

Honestly a subpar depiction on an epic career and story. A lot of unfulfilled potential, which is ironic since Tom Brady achieved the absolute maximum. I hope The Dynasty will fill in the blanks that this documentary created.

It's ok

[ftgsta · 4/10 · 9 January 2022]

The idea was good, but they keep glossing over the controversies he faced during the 10 super bowl appearances. Spygate, deflategate, Aaron Hernandez, and his trainer were all glossed over. Acted like they weren't a big deal overall.

People don't need to know you're good. WE ALL KNOW IT already.

If you're a casual football fan, you'll know all the stories without listening to Brady's dull narration about it.

Corny

[jakewoodard2 · 1/10 · 18 November 2021]

Okay who else thinks Brady sounds corny as **** after episode one? He over dramatizes this thing too much. I wish they would talk less about the emotional side of his story. He's annoying to listen to.

Cheater cheats

[temprkode · 1/10 · 10 January 2022]

Really awful documentary. Audacious attempt of glorifying a cheater's career. Cheater and his team were caught cheating multiple times and still the weak league allowed them to continue. If no cheating was permitted, I don't think cheater would make it to the playoffs forget winning a super bowl. The brazen attempt to glorify a cheater can make you throw up.