Movie Review Rewind: Tyson (2009)

Brandon Vick flips the calendar back to 2009 for a look at Tyson on this edition of Movie Review Rewind.

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Tyson is an in-depth look at the life of a boxing legend told through the man himself. It is Mike Tyson’s voice that guides you through his ups and downs of his life starting from his early childhood in Brooklyn to becoming the World Heavyweight champion and his fall from grace. This documentary uses past footage and photographs, and original interviews to tell the story of who Tyson is and what he did in and out of the boxing ring. He is able to put some issues and situations in to perspective and tells the audience where his head was at during that time.

Tyson knows he has messed up and has regrets. But he confronts them instead of running from them. He starts from when he was child who got picked on constantly. He admits that bullying really shaped his aggressive behavior. He was going to make sure no one ever picked on him again. And with the help of Cus D’Amato, his trainer, Tyson became a disciplined, fast-moving, fast-punching, and one of the world’s most gifted boxers of all time.

This documentary is honest and insightful, but it is a tragedy as well. Tyson discusses his love for boxing dying, and how the last few fights of his career were for money more than respect. In 2002, he decided to leave boxing and retire after a humiliating defeat. He admits that his heart was not in it and he was in no shape to fight. It is sad to watch how great he was and then see how his career ended.

No matter what your opinion is of Mike Tyson, you should see this documentary. You should hear his side and how he felt about his marriage with Robin Givens and his ear-biting incident with Holyfield. Remember…it’s his side of the story, but it’s worth listening to. He does not put himself on a pedestal. He is very open and truthful about the trouble he got into and how he only has himself to blame. Now Tyson is 40 years old and seems to be more humble than ever before. He appears to appreciate what he has and the family he has surrounding him, especially his children.

Tyson is a great documentary that shows the other side of Mike Tyson and in his own words. It is emotional, funny, entertaining, and heart-breaking. You feel all of these things because of one man and the life he is living. And it seems he has come a long way since being “The Baddest Man on the Planet.”

Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association and the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.

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