James Toback's Tyson is a documentary with no pretense of objectivity. Here is Mike Tyson's story in his own words, and it is surprisingly persuasive.
Comment
04/30/09
Tyson (2009)
86
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:123
Fresh:106
Rotten:17
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: A fascinating, emotional, and frank confessional from Iron Mike that sheds a sympathetic light on one of boxing's most controversial icons.
Theatrical Release:Apr 24, 2009 Limited
Box Office: $825,450
Synopsis: Love him or hate him, Mike Tyson is inarguably one of popular culture’s most fascinating figures. In this riveting documentary portrait of the controversial boxer, filmmaker and friend James Toback... [More]
Director: James Toback
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Reviews for Tyson
Top CriticTyson doesn't pretend to be a balanced picture, but it's a fascinating peek into a teeming, demon-filled brain that isn't like anyone else's.
04/29/09
Some of the best boxing action to be had in any film and an inside look at one of America's toughest survivors.
04/29/09
It makes you look at him in a new light.
04/27/09
My hunch is this innovative documentary will make you look at Mike Tyson differently. Not necessarily in a better light, but in greater context.
04/27/09
Boosted by the combination of Toback's willingness to let Tyson reclaim his public persona and the filmmaker's refusal to shy away from the controversy that's enveloped it.
04/27/09
There has been a lot of backlash by those accusing the boxer of lying, but that is not the point of this Tyson-Toback collaboration. It is Tyson's story, truth or not, from his viewpoint and that is what we get.
04/26/09
Tyson simply doesn't provoke you enough intellectually. It feels mildly compelling, occasionally moving and revealing, but it ultimately suffers from too much style over substance.
04/25/09
The stories are great, really demonstrative of how Tyson became the figure he is. It's amazing how real life has a beginning, middle and end.
04/25/09
It isn't a profile; it's a conduit for Tyson to speak his mind. He's the film's only voice, but even when he's the only one talking, the story is still two-sided.
04/25/09
It appears that Toback is out to protect and defend his friend as much as anything else, and so -- while Tyson is indeed fascinating -- it's also a missed opportunity.
04/24/09
Whatever you thought of Mike Tyson, this exceptional, fascinating film presents his story with all his warts in his own words.
04/24/09
Mike Tyson is a damaged man but a man nonetheless. Dismissing him as an animal, a habit he sometimes falls into himself, is an error. His mind is far from empty, although it's a lonely, haunted place, and Tyson is a howl of humanity.
04/24/09
Top CriticWho is Mike Tyson? Soft-spoken lost soul? Vicious animal? Not even he knows. But it's eerily fascinating to watch him try to figure it out.
04/24/09
A grab bag of occasional split-screens and sometimes overlapping or echoing dialogue -- all of which does more to obscure than illuminate the self-deceiving subject.
04/24/09
Top CriticThink you've seen enough of Mike Tyson for a lifetime? Think you know as much about him as you want to? Think again, and see James Toback's terrific documentary Tyson.
04/24/09
Top CriticA brutally honest documentary gets Mike Tyson to put it all out on the record, and the results may surprise you.
04/24/09
It's a movie that's thought-provoking without being intelligent and candid without being truthful. The same aesthetic choices that [director] Toback seems convinced will set his documentary apart are also what diminishes its credibility.
04/24/09
After all the years of rage and calamity, Iron Mike appears to have found some kind of lonely peace.
04/24/09
Tyson is worth seeing even if you have no particular interest in the sport or the man.
04/24/09
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