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Insight into the former Heavyweight Champion of the World

Tyson, yet another documentary on the former boxing Heavyweight Champion of the World. But unlike the A&E or sports specials, this documentary by writer/director James Toback is a long interview with Tyson, quite frankly. There is a lot of old video footage with interviews with his former trainer, Cus D’Amato; Robin Givens debasing him in an interview with Barbara Walters; and even some old sports footage interviews with Tyson throughout the years. For the most part, this is a long set of interviews with the boxer in his home and on the beach.

It’s interesting, believe it or not. Tyson still has an odd speech pattern but as he has gotten older his voice has at least deepened and he doesn’t sound like he’s talking with a mouth full of helium. He is obviously a product of his environment as he describes the rough neighborhood he grew up in. He is man enough to admit that he wasn’t always a tough guy. As a matter of fact, if Tyson’s emotions can be believed, he is man enough to get a bit teary eyed on a couple of occasions as he talks about D’Amato, a man who also came from a rough background, made something of himself, believed in Mike and made something of him. D’Amato was probably the father that Tyson never really had.

The film has a lot of great footage from most of his bouts as a pro as well as some old training footage and footage of him as a Junior Olympian. It also contains a lot of news footage showing some of Tyson’s extracurricular news events when he goes back and forth to prison. I don’t think one could ever quite fully sympathize with the man for his follies as he falls victim to fame, fortune & drugs, but one can at least toss aside their disdain for the man and some of the outrageous behavior he presented to the world as his world came crashing down. Even his ear biting events seem a bit more excusable to a degree.

Tyson uses a decent vocabulary here and there, so he doesn’t come across as a complete idiot. Some of his statements do make it obvious that he has taken a couple of hits to the head.  The most annoying thing about the doc isn’t Tyson, but Toback’s style & Aaron Yanes’ editing. From the beginning and several times throughout the film there are 2-4 screens bouncing around with multiple images of Tyson at different angles and audio overlapping one another. It’s disorienting and annoying. I’m sure it’s meant to be hip and to appeal to today’s 3 second attention span generation, but it does nothing but take away from the film.

For those who are squeamish be warned that there is bloodshed. It is boxing after all. There is also a liberal dose of cursing and violent attitude here and there. By the same token, Tyson admits his faults, his downfalls and is quite humble. He states that he can’t change the past but only hopes for a better future and to watch his kids grow (he’s trying to keep up with George Foreman on that account) and hopes to see his grandkids be born and grow.

I grew up sitting on the couch watching Muhammad Ali when I was a small child. Tyson was my generation’s Ali… or should have been. His career was unfortunate. Tyson may not be the best documentary ever, but it has some great insight into a man that should’ve reigned champion for many years.

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