‘Big George Foreman’ Review- A Heavyweight Biopic

This film was released in 2023.

Big George Foreman is a biographical film based on the late-great heavyweight boxing champion, directed by George Tillman Jr., who also co-produced and co-wrote the screenplay. It was made by Affirm Films and released by Sony.

After a childhood in poverty, George Foreman (Khris Davis) tells his mother, Nancy (Sonja Sohn), that he is joining the Job Corps and convinces her to let him join. After another participant steals his shoes, he almost beats the kid but is stopped by Doc Broadus (Forest Whitaker), who convinces him to become a boxer. Determined to be the best, Foreman rises and wins the 1968 Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. After becoming heavyweight champion by beating Joe Frazier (Carlos Takam), he rides high until his defeat by Muhammad Ali (Sullivan Jones). After a near-death experience, Foreman decides to become a preacher, but the boxing ring is still in his future.

Davis does a good job playing Foreman. He captures his early days as someone full of rage, as well as his later years as a man who wants to give back to his community. Likewise, Whitaker and Jones do a good job in their respective roles. The standout performance is Jasmine Mathews as Mary Joan, Foreman’s wife. She does such a good job and approaches the role with a humility that shines on the screen.

The film has a few hiccups. At times, you could see that the scenery was done by a green screen, and the boxing sequences were sometimes done in a close-up manner reminiscent of the 90s. These moments made the movie feel dated and sometimes took you out of the moment. The score also did not impress me. It was not bad, but it did not have a “wow” factor for portraying someone as great an athlete as George Foreman.

Overall, however, I did enjoy the movie. It did condense a lot of points in the life of George Foreman, as most biopics do, but it still gave you a good glimpse at the champion. I enjoyed seeing Foreman’s story and how his Christian faith impacted his life later on. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Muhammad Ali, which turned into a very significant moment in Foreman’s life. These factors all made an interesting movie, and one that I am happy to have watched.

Bottom line, Big George Foreman is a solid movie to enjoy that has a lot of heavyweight moments. You learn a lot about the boxing champion and are inspired by his unorthodox life.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Some sports violence including minor blood

FAVORITE QUOTE: If you stand there like a statue, a pigeon is gonna crap on you.

Check out the trailer below:

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