It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

I was excited to see this documentary after a friend told me about it. I've followed music pretty heavily for the last 30+ years and have appreciated its history and the 'behind the scenes' stories. A similar documentary, The Wrecking Crew, is a must see!I enjoyed Hired Guns but was left wanting more. I felt they could've spent more time showing how a 'hired gun'/A-List player is different, or better, than the guy who is just not making it versus only talking about it.I would've liked to have seen how an A-List player can quickly learn a tune. Show a couple examples of them knowing nothing about a song and picking it up quickly, a Randy Rhoads solo for example, and tell how that compares to a non A-Lister. Show what makes them different. (Seeing Jay Graydon play the Steely Dan solo was pretty cool. )I found it a little ironic for Phil X to talk about not selling out for $200-300 but then this documentary has them all playing a couple of rather bland tunes together for a reason that I didn't really understand.Maybe I missed it but also seeing some guys who were originally in successful bands and then went on to be session musicians would've been interesting too. Jeff Pilson for example.

What a wonderful, engaging, funny, sometimes sad look at the life of a session musician, the guys who are hired to play on another musicians recordings. I consider this the companion piece to the excellent "Wrecking Crew" documentary.Often anonymous, these guys and girls are the backbone to many of your favorite artists. As someone who played drums for many years and dreamt of being in a traveling band, I realized years ago what a grind touring could be. Many artists are interviewed and they are all candid about the business side of music, and what it takes to make it. Rob zombie puts it thus: You have to be the best musician, but also willing to put the spotlight on the main artist. Most importantly though, you need to be someone that can live on the road 24/7 with others and not be annoying! Toiling away, night after night, for little pay can drain anyone, and it does take a toll. Even those that were very successful can be dumped for no reason, sending the artist out looking for work. Liberty Devitto, the drummer for Billy Joel for many years, was dumped by Joel along with his bandmates, one of whom later killed himself. It's a hell of a way to make a living, and the heights are high, but the pitfalls are always around the corner. A must watch for any music fan!

Forget about the guy who bitched about Steve Vai and wrote a whiny review. This documentary doesn't look at the most famous session players (Like Vai), it follows people you may have never heard of (but whose talents you may have heard). The depth and honesty of the documentary is palpable. The players it does focus on show just how high the highs and how low the lows are when you dedicate your life to playing someone else's music. A couple superstar artists come out looking like douche bags for the way they treat their side men, but for the most part, the documentary steers clear of drama.

Hired Gun is a backstage look at some of the most prolific and popular musicians, bands, singers, and songwriters. There are so many wonderful and interesting stories here. From Billy Joel to Kiss, Metallica, Bon Jovi, and Pink. There is literally something for everyone. Learning about the band members lives and hearing how and why they are where they are was a blast. I saw this in the theater twice and loved it both times. I highly recommend it.