Okay, I'll admit it...I watched this film because, well, everybody likes a train wreck, right? Fans of Hollywood seem to need their dish on the latest crazy antics of Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton, news reporters/networks get viewers to tune in with stories of murder and crime, and political junkies are always suckers for a good sex scandal. In the sports world, that same sentiment can be summed up in one man: Mike Tyson.
Despite being one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all-time and becoming the youngest fighter ever to win the heavyweight title, Tyson could not ever rid himself of the demons that lay buried inside his soul. Whether it was pairing up with Don King, going to prison for rape, making publicly lewd comments/gestures, or dismembering his body, Tyson has had one of the biggest falls from grace of any professional athlete in history. Thus, I expected this film to discuss those issues and try to make sense of those hidden Tyson demons.
While that discussion did happen, it was much too one-sided...the entire movie is pretty much just an extended interview with The Baddest Man on the Planet himself. That may not seem like too bad of a format, sort of like letting Tyson "clear the air" of all his past mistakes, but those of us who know anything about Iron Mike know that he doesn't make one bit of sense at any time. Though better, in his advanced age, at completing an understandable sentence (something that eluded him completely during his prime fighting years), he still is a walking, talking, contradiction in terms. He'll making a profound thought in one sentence, then completely contradict himself in the next. Or, on one occasion, he talks about how much he values the women in his life...but then quickly discusses how much he enjoys dominating them sexually.
Thus, because of Tyson's confused mind, this documentary really doesn't shed any light on his past demons (or at least not enough to make them any more understandable). Topics such as his relationship with former mentor Cus D'Amato, his marriage to Robin Givens, his rape conviction, and his wild-man persona beginning after the Evander Holyfield ear-biting fiasco are discussed by Tyson, but no conclusions are ever reached or really interesting points made. I would have much rather seen other sources (friends, family, sports writers, psychologists, etc.) weigh in on Tyson, giving the film a more balanced perspective.
Basically, there really are two different ways to rate this film: If you know nothing (or very little) about Mike Tyson, watching this movie will be an eye-opening experience. However, if (like myself) you already have an extensive background of Tyson's antics, there is very little in the documentary that will surprise you.
Perhaps this film's biggest redeeming characteristic, though, is its ability to show Tyson during his rare moments of clear-headedness and normalcy. At one point, a home video is shown of Iron Mike shadow-boxing with his young daughter, which is incredibly poignant in conveying the notion that Tyson isn't always an anti-social maniac. He's just a man who confronts his inner demons head on...and loses almost every time.
Despite being one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all-time and becoming the youngest fighter ever to win the heavyweight title, Tyson could not ever rid himself of the demons that lay buried inside his soul. Whether it was pairing up with Don King, going to prison for rape, making publicly lewd comments/gestures, or dismembering his body, Tyson has had one of the biggest falls from grace of any professional athlete in history. Thus, I expected this film to discuss those issues and try to make sense of those hidden Tyson demons.
While that discussion did happen, it was much too one-sided...the entire movie is pretty much just an extended interview with The Baddest Man on the Planet himself. That may not seem like too bad of a format, sort of like letting Tyson "clear the air" of all his past mistakes, but those of us who know anything about Iron Mike know that he doesn't make one bit of sense at any time. Though better, in his advanced age, at completing an understandable sentence (something that eluded him completely during his prime fighting years), he still is a walking, talking, contradiction in terms. He'll making a profound thought in one sentence, then completely contradict himself in the next. Or, on one occasion, he talks about how much he values the women in his life...but then quickly discusses how much he enjoys dominating them sexually.
Thus, because of Tyson's confused mind, this documentary really doesn't shed any light on his past demons (or at least not enough to make them any more understandable). Topics such as his relationship with former mentor Cus D'Amato, his marriage to Robin Givens, his rape conviction, and his wild-man persona beginning after the Evander Holyfield ear-biting fiasco are discussed by Tyson, but no conclusions are ever reached or really interesting points made. I would have much rather seen other sources (friends, family, sports writers, psychologists, etc.) weigh in on Tyson, giving the film a more balanced perspective.
Basically, there really are two different ways to rate this film: If you know nothing (or very little) about Mike Tyson, watching this movie will be an eye-opening experience. However, if (like myself) you already have an extensive background of Tyson's antics, there is very little in the documentary that will surprise you.
Perhaps this film's biggest redeeming characteristic, though, is its ability to show Tyson during his rare moments of clear-headedness and normalcy. At one point, a home video is shown of Iron Mike shadow-boxing with his young daughter, which is incredibly poignant in conveying the notion that Tyson isn't always an anti-social maniac. He's just a man who confronts his inner demons head on...and loses almost every time.