6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The miraculous story of the once and future heavyweight champion of the world is based on the remarkable true story of one of the greatest comebacks of all time and the transformational power of second chances. Fueled by an impoverished childhood, Foreman channels his anger into becoming an Olympic Gold medalist and World Heavyweight Champion, followed by a near-death experience that takes him from the boxing ring to the pulpit.
Starring: Khris Davis, Jasmine Mathews, Sullivan Jones, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., John MagaroSport | 100% |
Biography | 34% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, C (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It's a safe bet that, in the prime of his boxing career, fighting against some of the biggest names ever to step into the ring -- Ali, Frazier, Holyfield -- George Foreman never once thought, even for a split second, that he would become an ordained minister, take a decade-long hiatus from the ring to preach the Word, and become best known not for his prowess, size, and strength in the boxing ring, but rather as a TV pitchman for low-fat grills and as the father of a handful of sons all named "George." Yet here he is, one of the most prolific boxing champions of all time yet overshadowed by his own success selling grills bearing his signature and living out his calling in the pulpit. Certainly, fight fans know more than his friendly TV demeanor: here is a man who was a monster in the ring, one of the hardest hitters and one of the most gifted fighters of all time. Big George Foreman, directed by George Tillman Jr. (Men of Honor Notorious), presents a standard-fare biopic that swings hard and hits the mark by not detouring from well-trod genre construct components. It focuses on a compelling character and his remarkable journey through fighting and faith in life and stature and stardom in the ring and beyond. The story translation to film has some tediousness at its back, but the unique angles and George's story, which is at once both formulaic and original, add some good reasons to watch.
Big George Foreman looks very good on Blu-ray. The film was digitally shot and does hold some source noise, visible even in some well-lit shots, but rarely is the noise obtrusive. The picture holds to a satisfying level of intricate detail that shows excellent skin complexity, sweat, and other elements in close-up with natural exactness. Clarity extends to clothes and environments, but the resolution does show some of the poor visual effects work in the film with too much clarity so that they stand out like the proverbial sore thumb. Colors are pleasing with vivid richness and accuracy in play. Skin tones look plenty healthy and black levels hold to a pleasantly deep authenticity. There are no obvious encode issues in play, either.
Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack certainly hits above its weight. The track demonstrates its thunderous abilities from the outset, with high intensity boxing effects, amplified for impact but no less enjoyable and potent. The track offers significant musical depth and clarity as well, making good use of full stage engagement to pull the listener into various scenes. All of the fight scenes feature some juiced up depth, but juiced up appropriately for maximum impact. Crowd elements are likewise nicely integrated and certainly sound better than they look. The subwoofer carries some beefy elements as well, at times, especially at the end when Moorer goes down, pushing a little too rattly and rumbly but still putting a sonic exclamation point on the moment. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized for the duration.
This Blu-ray release of Big George Foreman includes a few extras. No DVD copy is included, but Sony has bundled in a Movies Anywhere digital
copy code. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.
Big George Foreman is a solid, if not also formulaic, biopic that offers a blend of status quo biopic filmmaking paired with some advanced character driven drama but just not much structural novelty. Faith and fight fans alike should find it satisfying, anyway, for the boxing action and general human-interest elements. Sony's Blu-ray delivers a well-rounded package: rock-solid video and audio paired with a few extras. Highly recommended!.
2005
2003
Commemorative Edition
2001
2008
2011
2005
2008
2017
Masterpiece
2015
1964
40th Anniversary Edition
1977
2015
2017
2009
2013
2018
2010
2010
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1971
2023