Critique: Film> Reviews.

Here we have a documentary in which the director simply places a camera in front of the ex-heavyweight boxer and allows him to tell his side of the story, without insight by his friends, family, or media reporters. It's Tyson's life, after all, and we're simply meant to believe every word that is coming from his mouth. It's a fascinating and emotional take on one of boxing's most controversial icons -- one of the most honest portraits of a celebrity that you're ever likely to get.

Problems arise primarily from bad editing. It is pretty much common knowledge that Mike Tyson isn't a good public speaker, and the editors hardly do him any favours here. The dialogue in the first twenty minutes, especially, was incredibly long winded that it felt as if the documentary was never going to end. The split-screens and echoed conversations became extremely irritable and didn't help matters, either, as they made the boxer's constant mumbling even more difficult to understand. At times, it was very frustrating to watch.

But when things started to move that bit faster past the half way point, the documentary was far more intriguing. The fight scenes, of course, will be what everyone is anticipating as there is the opportunity to relive some of Tyson's most ferocious moments within the ring. Rising from being the youngest-ever heavyweight champ in 1986 at the age of twenty, to looking completely exhausted in his final match with Kevin McBride in 2005, we witness the rise and fall of one of boxing's most feared fighters.

Tyson won't necessarily disrupt most people's preconceptions of him being violent, arrogant and stupid, but James Toback's desire to unveil an honest human being does merit the viewer's attention. If it wasn't for the bad editing, maybe we would've actually grown to love the great brute.

Or maybe not.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2009.