Reviews

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  ★★★½ review by Scott Anderson on Letterboxd

  A far more entertaining documentary than I was expecting, especially considering prior to hitting play on this bad boy I never gave the concept of 3D printing a first or second thought, but ultimately Print the Legend does very little to distinguish itself as something memorable.

  I would love to learn more about the potential of 3D printing, the fascinating and life changing possibilities of the technology along with the dangers of what can be created by any person in the privacy of their own home, but the focus of this doc for the most part revolved around the business end of these companies and the competition between them.

  Interesting to learn about, sure, and without a doubt worthy of a watch, but not impactful enough content to stick with me going forward.

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  ★★★★★ review by sprizzle on Letterboxd

  3D is the future.

  Not the gimmicky movie shit. That's been around forever. Don't get me wrong, some movies use it really well (Gravity, Avatar, etc.) and I'm not totally against 3D in movies but sometimes it gives me a headache and I don't like it.

  But I digress...

  3D PRINTING is the future. This is the most inspiring, educational, timely documentary I've seen in 2014. It's on Netflix streaming so if you have access to that service definitely check this out. If you know a lot or just a little about the 3D printing revolution we are currently undergoing you'll be entertained and informed by the film. We are one step away from a killer app being discovered and this thing blowing up in all our faces. There will be 3D printers in every home before you know it. I can't remember the last time I watched a documentary and got this EXCITED about something!

  The film itself is just textbook brilliant. The filmmakers and editors have so beautifully crafted the perfect hero to villain ratio, the perfect amount of twist in the story that makes for good movie watching. Bre Pettis is cast as the next Steve Jobs. He believes the company he started (Makerbot) will change the world. Max Lobovsky is the socially inept genius planning on disrupting the market with providing the consumer with the absolute best product. Cody Wilson is hoping to ruin everyone's plans by using 3D printers to make plastic guns and pissing off the government. The dynamic relationships between the big players in the industry set the scene for a feature film somewhere about 20 years down the line. These companies ARE the next Microsoft, Apple, etc. There's just so much content in this, I almost wish it were longer.

  If you aren't well versed in what 3D printing is, now is the time to catch up. This documentary is a great starting point. People in this country are printing human organs. As an eternal optimist, I can only imagine where this tech is going. Jump on board and immerse yourself in the world. Get familiar with the characters because I think you'll be seeing more of them in the future.

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  ★★★★ review by soupydoupyy on Letterboxd

  The idea that you can print guns, cars, houses, and more just blows my freaking mind. HOW CAN THIS BE?! Well, I decided to watch this documentary to find out about this process. What I learned wasn't really about 3D printing really, rather, more about what it takes to grow as a thriving business. This is an account of several people involved in the highly lucrative business of 3D printing. These people are the Steve Jobs figures of recent years. Some literally started out in a garage with just a few people like Jobs himself.

  Even though it is a documentary, the real life people and stories unfold very much like fiction: there are twists, turns, betrayals, and more. Some people you think were good at the beginning, you might think are bad at the end. The people you thought up of as villains at the start, you may view differently towards the end.

  What one person says in the documentary really sums the idea of this doc up well. He says whenever you hear business people give speeches at conferences or what have you, you might hear them say "We sacrificed a lot to get to this point." You probably think they are talking about sleepless nights, time spent away from family, etc. No, this gentleman concludes, he is talking that they sacrificed a bit of themselves, a bit of their moral compass, to get to where they are at. I don't know if that's true for most business people, but this doc makes it seem like an inescapable route when heading for big business.

  I know more about 3D printing than I did beforehand, but would still like to know the science behind it, so I am left still wanting more. However, this documentary uses this science as a great way to evaluate modern business, and for that, I highly recommend it.

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  ★★★½ review by Thomas Lie on Letterboxd

  Interesting doc.

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  ★★★½ review by Alan Jones on Letterboxd

  Less about 3D printing, more about how big business and commerce can change a simple garage startup into a cutthroat industry.

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