Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth

Mike Tyson takes the stage on Broadway and proves to be a great storyteller with the timing of a seasoned stand up comedian. He starts with a terrible childhood in Brooklyn, New York, with a drug addicted mother and maybe pimp father who was never a part of young Mike's life. Reform schools and jail were inevitable, and a chance meeting with boxing trainer Cus D'Amato changed the course of Tyson's future. Everything is fodder, including the very strange and interesting marriage to actress Robin Givens and rape case involving Desiree Washington. Mike does hilarious imitations of D'Amato and his former manager Don King. Throw away any preconceptions you may have and give Tyson a chance, and I promise that you will not be disappointed; a solid nine out of ten.

Renowned sports fanatic, basketball tragic and occasional loudmouth Spike Lee swaps the hardwood of Madison Square Garden for the velvet curtains of Broadway, and Mike Tyson swaps sweaty mitts for a shiny mic in Undisputed Truth, a taping of one of Tyson's one-man shows in which he candidly shares the highs, lows, jokes and traumas of his colourful and exorbitant life.

You don't earn this many nicknames without having a natural and all-consuming charisma and Mike Tyson, alias 'Iron Mike', alias 'Champ', alias 'The baddest man on the planet,' has it in droves. He tells the story the only way it can possibly be told, not with stereotypically bearded and bespectacled talking heads, or bland and well-worn archive footage, but with a youthful enthusiasm that truly captures the man he is: one with many faults but who oozes passion and a pursuit of excellence.

Tyson's storytelling is a little sloppy and often erratic, but certainly never boring. Those looking for a well-balanced discussion of some of the most scrutinised moments of his life may find Undisputed Truth to be as shallow and self-serving as any predictable, studio-sanctioned biopic. But Iron Mike doesn't care. If he wants to explicitly denounce Don King, call his ex-wife a demonic, rabid golddigger or recall the time he didn't know what to do with Brad Pitt – the details of which are far too sordid for publication – then that's exactly what the Champ will do.

His tale isn't all slander and street fights though, as some genuinely touching moments come through in his remembrance of fallen friends and family. If there was something admirable about the brash, violent young man who turned sheer rage into inconceivable success, then there's just as much to like about the reflective, repentant man he has become, both traits of which are displayed in equal measure in this engrossing narrative.

*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review. If you're looking for a writer for your movie website or other publication, I'd also love to hear from you.*

Really enjoyed this well worth a watch, highly recommend

We all know how talented Mike Tyson was in the ring at a very early age but I now realize that he would also out perform most stage actors who would even attempt to bare their own life stories on stage. Mrs. Shullivan and I were fortunate to see actor Chazz Palminteri's excellent one man stage show in Toronto about his life from early childhood through to his film career, but Mike Tyson's life story is on a new level of life choice that is second to none.

This is a one man stage show documentary style film with Mike Tyson's own sense of humor thrown in for good measure. No doubt, he had a tough life just to survive and jail and prison were not the Holiday Inn either. The only piece of Mike's life that he left out, and in my humble opinion it was a big part of his life, was how hard he must of had to work in and out of the ring to get in shape and stay in shape, both physically and mentally.

I give it an 8 out of 10 IMDB rating. It's a must see for both the historical value and the entertainment value.

I had the pleasure of witnessing Mike's 2nd quickest ever KO v Lou Savarese in Glasgow 2000. His first punch landed Savarese on the canvas and it was all over after 38 secs. His status as a legend in my mind was still intact and he's still the greatest, fiercest fighter of my lifetime.

I was a bit apprehensive before watching Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth though. I didn't know this was gonna go down. I was worried he'd brag too much about his victories, come across too cocky or be the opposite and be nervous, get stage fright or gloss over some difficult events in his life that we wanted to hear his side of. I mean it's one difficult task punching the lights out of somebody in front of tens of thousands, it's a more daunting one to bare your soul alone on stage in front of a few hundred up close and personal. But he didn't just pull it off well, he totally killed it and delivered a roller-coaster ride of highs and lows and laughter and tears that like most of his fights felt over all too early but had you pondering about what just happened for days after.

Even if you never liked Mike as a fighter or the man you thought he was you should watch this and if you still dislike him after it then fine, at least you'll be disliking the real Tyson and not the one the media and a host of money-digging parasites have been spinning you for years...but I think you might just come away with a changed perception to the one you held before.