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Tyson

Tyson

2009
Documentary
1h 30m
A mixture of original interviews and archival footage and photographs sheds light on the life experiences of Mike Tyson. (imdb)
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Tyson

2009
Documentary
1h 30m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 59.36% from 452 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(452)
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Rated 20 Oct 2009
85
87th
An intriguing look at a man who was both celebrated and demonized by the media. Told entirely through interviews with Tyson and archival footage it is one-sided, but it is a side we have never seen. He pulls no punches on himself and can be very self-deprecating. He still says some very vehement things, but all in all he seems rather humbled when looking back at his life experiences. It was incredibly engaging and thought-provoking. Definitely a documentary worth seeing.
Rated 20 Jun 2009
65
52nd
A fascinating look into the life, career and mind of one of America's most famous and interesting athletes. It's almost surreal hearing him discuss an event in his career or emotional moment in his life for sixty seconds and then finish by saying something completely fucked up. He's an unbelievably flawed human being, but his honesty and willingness to discuss some ugly, ugly stuff makes this very compelling. I think Tyson has a good heart, he just lost the guiding force in his life too early.
Rated 02 May 2009
75
65th
I found it interesting to see Mike Tyson in a more human light rather than the raping monster.
Rated 03 Dec 2009
7
65th
Mike Tyson tells us how he perceives the events of his life and no other point of view is needed.
Rated 13 Apr 2009
85
83rd
Biased in that it's quite sympathetic towards Tyson, no doubt because it's told from his perspective as he narrates the entire documentary, however it does provide some much needed depth to a man that's been completely demonized by the media. I still think Mike is certainly "off" but this documentary explains why. Tyson opens up in the interviews and you get to see him as a real person and as a father; Tyson faux-boxing with his daughter was a beautiful thing to see.
Rated 02 May 2009
90
91st
Here's an idea: Make a documentary about one of the most dominant and interesting boxers the world has ever seen. Then base it all around him and his views. You would expect it to be insanely one sided but it's not because Tyson is as honest as he is fascinating. He speaks about his flaws and his accomplishments, never giving himself more or less than he deserves. You can't help but feel sympathetic towards him sometimes, and you can't help but believe what he says.
Rated 02 May 2009
95
87th
Told entirely and narrated fully from one of our nation's most fascinating and fantastic boxers of all time's perspective, Tyson is an honest and deep look into his sorrows, mistakes and daily productive and mediarized time spent each and every day. Every interview with him is gold from start to finish. Great.
Rated 22 May 2009
85
75th
1sided as Tyson gets last, 1st& all words in middle here& tho it would benefit from other opinions (especially those of a psychiatrist) the man's pretty fascinating all by himself. Surprisingly well-spoken & clear-headed he embodies nurture vs. nature as extreme changes in his environments force small but significant changes(?) in him. Interest flags slightly about 3/4 in as Tyson himself appears 2 grow more subdued, but should more than hold the interest of anyone interested in what shapes us
Rated 20 Aug 2009
82
59th
I have followed Tyson's career since I was a little boy, and this documentary gives the viewer first hand account of what Tyson went through, through his eyes. Very powerful doc. and you can see how much Tyson has changed as an individual. Such a magnificent athlete that fell from grace. A must see for boxing/sports fans.
Rated 31 Aug 2009
66
39th
I'll fuck you till you love me, faggot
Rated 12 Sep 2009
83
77th
I certainly didn't expect to find this...a subdued Tyson painstakingly accounting his life story (true or not?...you decide) without much of a filter or regard to how it will sound to anyone but him. Just listening to Tyson speak (his relationship with the English language always has the potential to go veering off the tracks) was enough to keep my attention but Toback (a friend of Iron Mike's apparently) expertly intercuts some great footage into the interview portion. Nary a dull moment here.
Rated 08 Jan 2010
85
86th
Ive said this before, and Ill re-iterate despite some of the things that Mike Tyson has done he is a misunderstood person, who seems like he grew up far too late and knows it. When Tyson was in his prime, Im certain that no one could beat him, no one.
Rated 16 Oct 2010
70
79th
Tyson is clearly unstable, but that is why it's so fascinating.
Rated 27 Mar 2011
73
76th
It might be conventional in its storytelling, but Tyson's sincere statements are hypnotic: he doesn't know if he is a hateful beast or the greatest champion of the world. We also don't know that. But Toback's film almost did it.
Rated 05 Apr 2011
79
67th
As a fan of boxing, the montage to start the movie was fun to watch. They do a good job of letting Tyson tell his own story, and in his own words, which just made the whole thing more real. I think the stuff about him and Cus D'Amato is really good too. I always read how important the guy was to Tyson. The way he talks about him left me with no doubts that the guy was the single most important figure in his early boxing life. He pulls no punches when speaking which makes him more genuine.
Rated 18 Apr 2012
76
80th
Why are documentaries about boxers the best? I don't even like boxing.
Rated 26 Apr 2009
95
85th
A truly excellent piece of work. Free of any political agenda or racial vendetta, the man we once called Iron Mike is exceptionally honest about his mistakes, and to see him open up is equally scary and moving.
Rated 05 May 2009
50
33rd
Fuck sports
Rated 26 May 2009
20
44th
Toback, who had known Tyson for over 20 years and had used him previously in Black and White, gets him to talk and talk, a virtual monologue with no audible questions, amounting to a talking-head movie tricked up with split screens and switched camera angles (a clumsy stab at multifacetedness) and of course archive footage and photos.
Rated 28 May 2009
60
61st
Watch one of the scariest, most interesting, and ugliest people of the 20th century make up various words to express himself. It's good stuff, trust me.
Rated 30 May 2009
6
55th
"When I was wrongfully accused of raping that wretched swine of a woman." A deeply intriguing look into a deeply disturbed mind.
Rated 31 May 2009
30
30th
More like Mike Types-on, a keyboard
Rated 02 Jun 2009
80
69th
Experiments with and frankly abuses some split screen techniques early on, but then Toback gets a miraculous hold on the trick--using it to accentuate the many facets of the man and occasionally to highlight his stutter. The psychology of Tyson is fascinating as a man who was groomed to be a champion, attained it quickly and subsequently spent the years, regaining and pissing it all away. A great example of how age and experience tempers you. I ultimately came to love him.
Rated 15 Jun 2009
60
38th
If this film wasn't about the life of Mike Tyson, it'd be awful. He carries this movie completely.
Rated 15 Jun 2009
50
38th
Decent talking-head documentary. For me it was very informative because I never cared about boxing or Tyson, but most importantly it takes a look at the Tyson as at the human, not as a sportsman. At first I found it a bit embarrassing, mostly because of his strange voice, bursts of emotions, but as the documentary progressed I felt like I got to know him. Obviously he isn't very intelligent person, but as they say - wisdom comes with the age.
Rated 07 Jul 2009
70
80th
its a nice docu about a fascinating personality, a bit short though, and he sure is one of the greatest boxers of all time and its a good thing that he admitted that he only fought the last few for the money, and after seeing this you maybe even wont think about tyson as a monster as the press shows
Rated 31 Aug 2009
90
50th
for someone who was largely unfamiliar with mike tyson's rise to fame in the boxing world, this was a very well crafted and enlightening movie. all i really knew was that he bit some boxer's ear and enjoyed phil collins music. it was awesome to see how talented he was when he was in his prime and to hear it all from the man himself.
Rated 04 Sep 2009
59
39th
"I want to eat your heart. I want to eat his children. Praise be to Allah." Being a child of the 80s, I grew up watching Tyson's fights and drama outside the ring. I always thought he was a pretty despicable person, but he seems 100% honest in this doc, and it really shed some light on the raping, the ear-biting, and everything in between. Still, I feel like someone NOT familiar with his boxing career/life would get more out of this than I did.
Rated 30 Nov 2009
40
19th
The film comes off as pretentious at times, with Tyson wistfully staring out at the ocean while he discusses something totally reprehensible or messed up using voice-over. I also wasn't a fan of the technical aspects of the film. The split screens were over used and totally unnecessary. Tyson's ramblings were edited so tightly together that at times it felt like the auditory equivalent of TYPING WITH ALL CAPS AND NO PUNCTUATION BUT ALSO WITH MULTIPLE VOICEOVERS TRACKS PLAYING AT THE SAME TIME
Rated 01 Jan 2010
80
72nd
A thorough journey into the thoughts of Kid Dynamite after he exploded himself. Its really good.
Rated 12 Jan 2010
70
40th
A reasonably entertaining documentary on a legendary (for good and bad reasons) sports figure, Tyson is hampered by its singular perspective and some annoying presentation decisions.
Rated 01 Feb 2010
64
40th
The man is deeply scarred and deeply flawed; he knows it, too, and the film is fascinating when Tyson receives those revealing flashes of clarity. A man that swings so violently between melancholy and misogynist rancor is a fascinating subject, indeed. It's too bad the split screen made ME want to punch someone.
Rated 15 Feb 2010
47
28th
Less a documentary and more of an extended interview with the former heavyweight champ. By training his camera on Tyson and letting him tell his own story, largely without interruption and entirely without contrasting voices, Toback seems to be aiming for the accidental revelation that is the hallmark of Errol Morris's approach. Instead, he's complicit in a self-created hagiography that allows Tyson to match his brief moments of contrition with nasty attacks on those who he feels wronged him.
Rated 27 Feb 2010
85
83rd
Very tense.
Rated 10 Mar 2010
50
43rd
Despite his difficult childhood, despite his remarkable success in the ring, despite his sensational and tragic problems and incarceration, and despite his general candour, emotionality and, indeed, vulnerability, Tyson nevertheless somehow turns out to be an only moderately interesting interviewee (judging at least from what we are shown here). Cinematically uninspired. The opening titles were good.
Rated 11 May 2010
60
50th
He is a sad figure, and this film confirms that.
Rated 18 Aug 2010
90
93rd
Mike's brutal honesty is very admirable to say the least. He accurately picks apart his own life with such an objective attitude its almost surreal to see the contrast of him as such a wise man now reflecting back upon his immature youth. Cheers to the greatest fighter to ever step into the ring.
Rated 10 Nov 2010
88
86th
the BADDEST MAN ON THE PLANT
Rated 24 Dec 2010
5
0th
Tyson is a mirror portrait that gets under our skin. Through film, [Director James] Toback achieves what even his mentor Norman Mailer's magnificent writing on boxing was never able to accomplish.
Rated 29 May 2011
81
66th
An incredibly candid self-evaluation. Tyson's soft and easy-listening voice is made all the more magnetic by the brutally poetic way he handles his language. Your opinion on this film may vary depending on how you feel about the man, though.
Rated 04 Jul 2011
80
75th
A fascinating portrait of a very interesting person... I always kind of liked Iron Mike, and this documentary reinforced that. For all his faults (and they are many) he is an almost frightfully honest person
Rated 01 Aug 2011
75
71st
It's very interesting to see Tyson telling his own story. It is a self-reflection, almost a therapy sessionm, of a person totally lost and fickle, but also one of the greatest boxers ever.
Rated 27 Oct 2011
20
41st
"Toback excises any counterbalancing voices from the project and leaves the final word in every case with Tyson, even as the boxer exhibits a marked tendency toward self-contradiction." - Andrew Schenker
Rated 15 Dec 2011
86
90th
This is a great documentary with Mike Tyson himself providing the narration. This is an interesting look at a great boxer but a very troubled man. This documentary is a good example that money can not buy happiness.
Rated 28 Apr 2012
70
36th
If you've followed Tyson's career, this documentary won't tell you anything you don't already know. I've heard all of these insights, explanations, and contradictions straight from Tyson's mouth in the past. I am disappointed the film makers did not challenge Tyson more. I am also baffled by the visual and editing choices they made. In sum, worth watching, especially if you know nothing about Tyson, but not a great documentary in spite of its fascinating subject.
Rated 23 Sep 2012
83
54th
One of the more brutal, amazingly biased docs you'll see. Told by Tyson and made by a firend, nothing Tyson says is questioned, but he's also really brutal on himself when it comes to most things. You still can't take really believe everything that's said, but it's still interesting.
Rated 01 Oct 2012
68
43rd
Some bad subject placement I guess, half the film is blown out the window behind him. Not sure what to make of Tyson reading poetry during a sunset montage either. I guess he would be a hard person to build a documentary around, the man admits he is has been rebuilt as an animal, sneaking past his temper and attitude and into the self-analysing and truths would be a verbal tightrope walk. Although, we hear his side of the story with no further prying, truth probably isn't the right word.
Rated 21 Oct 2012
80
96th
Having seen all his fights and been a fan of the man since childhood, I really enjoyed this open, seemingly honest look into the short-fused, easily-led megastar. His candid musings cover virtually every major life event, providing his own perspective on the highs and lows and his mindset at the time. At 86 minutes it's far from comprehensive, but in the absence of a written autobiography this is the best you're gonna get.
Rated 30 Nov 2012
60
44th
It's a movie that's thought-provoking without being intelligent and candid without being truthful. The same aesthetic choices that Toback seems convinced will set his documentary apart are also what diminishes its credibility.
Rated 27 Mar 2013
75
60th
Interesting, Tyson is a bit of a bias portrait, of course, and sometimes it goes from great to ugly: 'that wretched swine of a woman' But, it is entertaining
Rated 16 Sep 2013
50
33rd
The man's a moron, a thug, and a convicted rapist. It's a fairly interesting documentary nevertheless
Rated 19 Feb 2014
40
12th
I respect that Tyson speaks honest in this movie. But... the movie makers... COME ON! The visual side is poor. Mike just sitting on sofa and talking then few old clips here and there. More creativity for this kind of great character. Please.
Rated 23 May 2017
75
89th
Most interesting.
Rated 17 Jul 2019
100
94th
A great documentary film told by the man himself and archival footage
Rated 12 Feb 2021
70
53rd
rvw. the style of his interview made it more boring, but more fascinating. wanted more sexy tyson footage lol and the multiple recordings over each other annoyed at times. powerful, mighta been more if i hadnt seen modern mike podcasts etc

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