Iron Mike In Tears?

It didn't happen in the boxing ring!

Tyson is a documentary about the boxing legend Iron Mike. Directed (and financed) by Mike Tyson’s childhood friend James Toback this film uses a mixture of archival footage and original interviews, shedding some light on the life experiences of Mike Tyson.

The rise and fall of Tyson is essentially the story that is being told. We begin from the beginning of his meteoric rise in the boxing ranks only to quickly jump back to the real beginning of the young life of Mike Tyson. Toback used a unique way to open the documentary, showing multiple angles of Tyson talking to the camera but all telling a different part of his life. This disjointed direction worked wonderfully to portray what Tyson himself called his multiple personality and how he switches between each of them. The only problem was Toback kept using this technique after he already accomplished what he set out to do with the multiple Tyson’s on screen. Subtitles were almost required at times to sift through this disjointed direction.

Well there was not really any opposition to dispute what Tyson said as he is the only one who talks throughout the entire film aside from the odd stock footage of one of his many managers or wives. Generally though he seemed honest about how he felt for each situation. The viewer should take what they need from the film though as no attempt is made to create a bias for Tyson from distracting us with opposing vantage points. Tyson shows us his raw emotion, choking back tears at times, making you feel some sympathy for him.

If you are a boxing fan, sports fan, or just a Mike Tyson fan then this documentary should be worth your time. You may not enjoy Tyson so much if you aren’t a fan of those three little items though. It tells a lot about his character and shows his determination as he was growing (and how he still is). To see some of the footage of him in the ring is almost worth the admission itself.

3 out of 5
Colin Enquist