Tyson Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
The story of Mike Tyson. Form his early days as a 12 year old amateur with a powerful punch, to the undisputed title of "Heavyweight Champion of the World", and ultimately to his conviction for rape. The story of his turbulant life moves quickly, never focussing for long on anything in particular.
| George C. Scott | Cus D'Amato |
| Paul Winfield | Don King |
| Michael Jai White | Mike Tyson |
| James Sikking | Bill Clayton |
| Malcolm-Jamal Warner | Rory Holloway |
| Tony Lo Bianco | Jim Jacobs |
| Clark Gregg | Kevin Rooney |
| Holt McCallany | Teddy Atlas |
| Regal Hanley | Young Mike Tyson |
| George Murdock | Baranski |
| Mane Andrew | Young Rodney Tyson |
| Jimmy Bridges | Carl King |
| Richard Callender | Johnny Gill |
| Dayton Callie | Sportswriter #1 |
| Tony Campisi | Sportswriter #2 |
6.00 out of 10 (527 votes)
Visitor Reviews
The Best That It'll Get
posted on 07 Dec 2007I think we all agree that the character Mike Tyson leaves a lot to be said which is why I think the movie "Tyson" was pretty good given the resources it had to work with. The problem with making controversial biographies is that you can't provide the complete overall perspective, no matter how much of a budget you place on them. And also the fact that many viewers come in watching these movies with previously fixed opinions doesn't help either. For a 'made for TV' biography, I thought this movie was borderline excellent. I realize you can't encompass Iron Mike's entire life in an hour and some change but I thought this movie provided a great objectionable summary. It didn't uphold his character nor did it insult; it just stuck to the facts. I thought George C. Scott and Michael Jai White gave great performances. The only criticism I have is that a lot of the other character actors came off a little flat but it wasn't enough to take away from the overall result. To tell the truth, I'd watch a sequel provided the same crew got back together and stuck with the same (or rather similar) formula.
a warts and all movie
posted on 02 Mar 2006I remember that I was a big fan of Ali's when I was a kid. I thought he was a great guy and he was my hero. It makes me angry when people say that Tyson is so great a champ. As far as I am concerned, he is to champion what Dolly Parton is to a flat surface! Real champions live 24 hours a day and conduct themselves honorably outside the boxing ring as well. Look at how Tyson has conducted himself! This movie shows him for the sick, screwed up person that he is. A rapist, a bully and a yellow coward! He is nothing but a bully and when you stand up to a bully he becomes a coward. Buster Douglas and Evander Holyfield proved that because they were not afraid of him and beat him. I write to celebrities as a hobby and I wrote a letter to one of the characters depicted in this film Teddy Atlas. He was one of Tyson's first trainers. Tyson fondled his little sister and he went after him with a gun and they showed it in this film. I just wish more people had stood up to him like this. As far as I am concerned, Tyson is a disgrace. He is a chump among champs and a champ among chumps! and I will tell you something else, Muhammad Ali would have kicked his yellow ass. s
Great acting
posted on 11 Feb 2005The acting in this movie is great. This movie had a great storyline. This movie is based on the book fire and fear. If you read the book then you should watch the movie. This movie is very interesting and if you hate Mike Tyson then maybe you should see this movie it might change your mind.
The Rise And Fall Of A Champ Human Triumph And Human Tragedy A Must See If Your A Mike Tyson Fan Or Boxing Enthusiast.
posted on 14 Sep 2004This 1995 made for TV. HBO original movie chronicles Tyson's discovery by Cus D' Amato in 1979 in a Catskill, NY Boxing Club to the 1991 alleged rape of a black beauty pageant contestant. And I must say this film is brilliant it has all the highs and lows of Tyson's ferocious career as he destroys the heavyweight ranks and becomes the youngest heavyweight champion ever, also the dispute and problems he had with former trainer and current boxing analyst and trainer Teddy Atlas the film also does a good job of showing Tyson's rage and anger brought on by the deaths of his mother and the legend Cus D' Amato. I am especially glad that this film shows just how much of a gold digger ex-wife actress Robin Givens and her mother really were alot of people blamed Mike for the problems with him and Givens, but this film finally showed how manipulative Robin really was. And the crushing defeat to Buster Douglas was shown with such realism and Don King is wonderfully depicted as guiding Mike Tyson's career along perfect, finally the film does a great job of leaving the viewer to really have doubts if Mike really commited the rape or not watch and you will see. This movie airs often on the HBO networks you must record this for keep sake if your a boxing fan and followed the career of Tyson simply because of the realism it's like you were really there with Mike for the rise and fall.
Good, but not great and stolen by Great Scott and Winfield
posted on 11 May 2003This is a made-for-TV flick about Iron Mike. As people have already commented there are several memorable and incredible performances given here. Scott is, to my mind, one of, if not the greatest American actor who lived in the last century. Along with Jason Robards, Jack Lemmon, Jimmy Cagney, and today Kevin Spacey. (Yes, I said it, Kevin ranks right up there with the all-time champs. Don't believe me? See the movie he did with Annette Benning and Chris Cooper, then watch the Kaizer Soze flick. Unfortunately it is late and titles are escaping me.....)So Scott steals the movie cursing and arguing and screaming his lungs out. By the way, after his death, it was rumored that D'Amato had forced Iron Mike to perform oral sex on him when Mike was a young boy under Cus's tutelage. True or not, it would certainly explain a lot....Paul Winfield as Don King is a great match. His performance is much more believable here than Ving Rhames's would be several years later on in "King". Tony LoBianco is good to as Jim Jacobs who for years managed Tyson. Jacobs incidentally was a jack-of-all-trades, winning the US Handball Championship for Men, having the greatest private collection of fight films ever collected, and being an expert on comic books. Talk about your Renaisannce guys. The only weak link is Michael Jai White. He doesn't really capture the caged-animal intensity of Iron Mike during his glory years. Tyson incidentally, should really consider making a film about his own life with actors of his choosing. Overall a good effort by some extremely talented actors.
Passable, forgettable, mediocre.
posted on 28 Sep 2002A very ordinary made-for-tv product, "Tyson" attempts to be a serious biopic while stretching the moments of angst for effect, fast forwarding through the esoterics of the corrupt sport of boxing, and muddling the sensationalistic stuff which is the only thing which makes Tyson even remotely interesting. A lukewarm watch at best which more likely to appeal to the general public than to boxing fans.
"Iron Mike" becomes Iron Bars Tyson
posted on 03 Oct 2001I do feel a bit sad at the former champion's situation, and how he was led astray by fame and Wealth. It is a point,that if we desire to achieve greatness,we have to earn it by work.The bars are made by the man,Himself;This confused and misunderstood athlete is only to blame, because He refuses to change His World,His Life.In the movie, we see his tough exterior is rough,He does not trust or rely on the guidance of others.He does not move forward when tough times arise(such as death of trainer,surrogate mom)There is an old fable of a "Phoenix rising out of the ashes it dwells in".As a role model for children, celebrities must dwell on past mistakes and learn what Society requires of them.I believe how they achieve a reputable name, is based on the impressions of others.
Triumph and tragedy: The life of 'Iron Mike'
posted on 13 Aug 2001TYSON Aspect ratio: 1.33:1Sound format: StereoReverent - though scrupulously fair - account of the life and times of champion boxer Mike Tyson. Given his conviction on a rape charge, the film is careful not to portray him as hero or villain, but paints a warts-and-all portrait of his rise to fame, the pressures of success, and the people who shaped his destiny for good or bad. Constrained by time limits, the script gallops through a succession of relevant details, alighting briefly on significant events, culminating with Tyson's (temporary) downfall in 1995. Novices will be enlightened by the chronology, while boxing fans will be entertained by director Uli Edel's straight-arrow approach to the material. He portrays Tyson's life as a circus in which he was ultimately led astray by the circumstances of his own success. In fact, the script reserves most of its venom for Tyson's ex-wife Robin Givens, characterising her as an ungrateful gold-digger who took advantage of his naivety. Production values are uniformly solid and the cast is superb: Michael Jai White does a fair imitation of the title character; George C. Scott plays Tyson's mentor Cus D'Amato through acres of gritted teeth; and Paul Winfield was surely born to play Don King!
Interesting
posted on 01 Feb 1999This film was on late at night when I saw it. It was interesting at start but it didn't convince me as a whole. I am no Tyson fan. In fact I don't like boxing at all. It's barbaric, obscene and double faced (by society) that some get money for beating each other up.Nevertheless, I felt the start of the film was OK. Actors alright, especially George C. Scott (as Cus D'Amato). I don't know how reliable the flick is. I haven't read books and books about boxing or Tyson. I don't know anything about the man, but it was quite entertaining.As the movie went on I felt it lost a little of it's charm and I also lost interest. I managed to stay awake though but the last hour was just not good enough.
Great movie about the rise and fall of Iron Mike
posted on 13 Jun 2008I really enjoy this movie every time I watch it. I think everything in Tyson is just right. The actors are perfect, the music is perfect, the script is perfect, and the boxing scenes are perfect. I really liked how this movie starts out with Tyson as a young hood and shows him become a champion. I liked the scenes with Tyson and Cus D'Amato. I don't think they could've got anyone better to play Cus than George C. Scott. He looks exactly like him in this and his acting was great. Everyone was great here, but I think people should give a lot more credit to Michael Jai White. I don't know what everyone was looking for. When I watch the movie I forget it's an actor playing Mike Tyson. He doesn't look exactly like him, but he really comes across as him. Michael Jai White deserved a Golden Globe for his performance. This movie also tries to show you the other side of the stories you heard about Tyson. You probably heard about how Tyson got fresh with Teddy's niece, but this movie shows you that maybe Jamie was going after Mike. You probably heard stories from Robin Givens, but this movie shows how deceptive she really was and how she took advantage of Mike. You probably heard stories about Don King. This movie shows what a jerk he was. It doesn't show it as much as his bio pic does, but you get a pretty good idea. You probably heard that Tyson was convicted of rape, but this movie leaves it up to you. It doesn't prosecute him.I also liked how the movie shows how Mike Tyson isn't the heartless fiend you think he is. It shows that he could love. He loved his mother, he loved Cus D'Amato, he loved Jim Jacobs, he loved Robin Givens, and he loved pigeons. When he loses these people his life starts to go down hill. The movie also shows Mike Tyson isn't made out of stone. He really was nervous at times and he wasn't always strong, especially when Cus died.There's really nothing you could say is wrong with this movie. It does everything it's supposed and pushes all the right buttons. I even thought the fight scenes were great. They were accurate and staged beautifully. My favorite part is when Tyson fights Michael Spinks. You want to know what Tyson was all about watch that fight.This movie was great for an HBO movie, but I still can't understand why a movie hasn't been released to theaters about Mike Tyson. Maybe they'll make one years and years from now. The movie Ali was just a blown opportunity and a waste of time. If anyone does make a Mike Tyson movie it better not be like that. I don't just like this movie because I'm a huge Mike Tyson fan. If you took a person that despised Mike Tyson and told them to watch this they would probably end up understanding him by the time the movie's over. It shows who Mike Tyson truly was. I stress the word "was" because the man you see today is not Mike Tyson. The Mike Tyson I saw in this movie would've never lost to Evander Holyfield, or any other fighter that beat him today. The man I saw would've never bit Holyfield's ear, or did any of the things he does today. The Mike Tyson I know is the one I saw beat every challenger in sight. The Mike Tyson I saw knocked out Michael Spinks in 90 seconds. That is the only one I will ever see.