George Foreman: Cuore da leone

George Foreman is a hugely impressive man, of that there is no question. What he achieved in the sport of boxing is truly phenomenal and deserves to be committed to film. However, a remarkable life does not necessarily make a remarkable film, and that is painfully evident with this biopic.

For a two hour film it feels excruciatingly long. The pace is ploddy and lethargic and it is a real chore at times. There's a lack of creative or visual flair in the filmmaking which doesn't help with this issue. The boxing sequences are also relatively flat which doesn't help either.

In terms of the story, it is very interesting. I knew next to nothing about Big George before watching this film, so learning about his rise in boxing was really interesting, but the story isn't overly well told. It zips past too many areas and lingers in others for too long. It is always difficult with a biopic deciding which areas to focus on across an entire life, and I don't think this one gets it quite right.

I wasn't entirely convinced with the lead performance either. Khris Davis is a fine actor I'm sure but too often he just felt off. I can't put my finger on it but it just doesn't work.

Quite often the tone felt off as well. The initial half an hour or so was incredibly cheesy, with really quite poor dialogue.

As negative as all of that sounds, I did enjoy this film. It isn't overly well made and feels pretty clunky in parts, but it's hard to ignore how fun and engaging the story is. When you have such a brilliantly interesting man at the centre of your biopic, it's hard not to make a compelling film. Despite its lack of flair, this is still a solidly engaging biopic.

This movie covers George Foreman's life from his childhood to regaining the world heavyweight championship later in life. Foreman has had a pretty incredible life, which is why it's difficult to cover it in a two hour movie. Many seminal moments and important people in his life (besides his mother and boxing coach) seem a bit like a blur as we hurry from one important event to the next. For what it is, it's a pretty enjoyable movie with a strong performance, if a bit one dimensional, from the lead actor Khris Davis. Although brief, the boxing sequences were well done and intense. Not a fan of these bio-pics stylistically, but this is one of the better attempts to cover a rollercoaster of a life.

I have a great admiration and respect for George Foreman. Having lost the World Heavyweight title to Muhammad Ali, his comeback story is one that begs to be seen. Having almost died after a boxing match, George credited his resurrection to Jesus and became a preacher and preached on the streets first. Due to financial problems from mishandling of his funds, George was forced to get back into the ring one last time.

There's a title fight between Tommy Morrision(the real-life boxer who starred in Rocky V 1990) and Foreman that you should see. Shannon Briggs, Tommy Morrison, Evander Holyfield, Jimmy Young, and Muhammad Ali are the five boxers who have beaten Foreman. Foreman's last fight I believe was with Shannon Briggs. Briggs won by a majority decision(MD). In a total of 81 fights, George has won an incredible 76 and losing only five times. Had he boxed more this record could've been huge. He was a huge powerhouse of a boxer and only a very few could withstand his punches.

The movie deals with Foreman's life as a youngster, quickly moving into his boxing career where he faced the likes of Joe Frazier. The Muhammad Ali match dubbed the "Rumble In The Jungle" is the highlight. I believe the real actual whole match is available free to see online if you are an enthusiast. I watched Facing Ali that showed actual highlights from the fight so I did not care to see the full fight. The movie's acting, directing, sound-effects and music are top-notch. Khris Davis plays Big George and Sullivan Jones plays Ali. I thought Jones was terrific in his portrayal of the brash and arrogant Muhammad Ali dubbed "The Mouth Of The South".

Verdict: it's way better than Creed 3(2023) and of course it's based on the true life story of a "real-life" boxer.

Other boxing movies: Dempsey(1983), Brutal Glory(1989), Gladiator(1992), Fighting Tommy Riley(2004), Cinderella Man(2005).

Thanks for reading this review and as Mister Spock says, live long and prosper.

Overall the movie does a very good job taking the viewer through the life of George Foreman who is often overshadowed by Muhammed Ali. The movie takes its time walking the audience through the major stages of his life and from my knowledge is quite historically accurate. As for the entertainment value it doesn't pack the same punch as the fictional Creed movies and the fight scenes lack the flare of those in Creed or Rocky , but the movie is not as much about Foreman's boxing career solely as it is more about the man's journey through life.

His accomplishments in the ring are no doubt impressive, but the story of how he arrived there is perhaps more interesting. Certainly a must see movie for any fan of boxing history , but it probably won't connect with viewers who have never heard of George Foreman before. It also lacks some of the glitz and glamour of other boxing movies which could lead some viewers to view it less favorably.

Wow, I'm also very surprised as to how few people have gone to see this in the theatre. It really is a very real, and very inspiring story. It's far too real for many of the critics it seems. Many of them seem to want heartless and flashy nowadays, or overdramatic films with a much more unrealistic heart. There's none of that here, and I'd rather watch more grounded films like this any day of the week. Personally I really didn't care much for the bloated, semi-factual and overly choppily directed Elvis film from 2022. I strongly preferred this much more real feeling story.

I still remember the night Foreman became the Heavyweight Champion of the World for the 2nd time. It was pretty much all anyone was talking about for the next while. How could it even happen? He inspired a ton of old people and a ton of kids as well. To me, Ali and Foreman are truly among histories most inspirational athletes, and more than that, just very inspirational people. They were real however, they both had flaws, but for the most part, both of them successfully overcame many of their shortcomings as well. Both men in fact did it while being greatly inspired by their faith. The film does seem a little rushed at times, as it likely needed to be. When we're dealing with a real persons life, and trying to fit all of the most important parts into a film, that just often has to be the way. Otherwise you end up with a film that's way too long. All in all, I'm certainly glad I went and saw this. Thank you George, for sharing your very inspiring story.

7/10.