Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Big George Foreman Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 24, 2023

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.

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. But when he sees his community struggling spiritually and financially, Foreman returns to the ring and makes history by reclaiming his title, becoming the oldest and most improbable World Heavyweight Boxing Champion ever.

The story begins like so many others: George grew up in poverty, with barely enough food to eat and nothing at the table during school lunch. He was the object of ridicule, and he released his frustrations by fighting. It is only when his wayward life found some footing and he found a mentor, capably played by Forest Whitaker, that he channeled his natural desires and skills into something with a future. His rise is meteoric, but the film finds its place as his story takes a few unexpected turns, including a near-death experience, heeding a call to ministry, and his return to boxing to become champion yet again.

This is good stuff, and the story is solid, but the film is not overly compelling. That’s not a fault of its subject. Rather, the problem stems from the cinematic construction, which as paint-by-numbers as these sort of movies get. Big George Foreman delivers exactly the sort of nuts-and-bolts biopic one would expect it to deliver: it’s a highlight reel that moves from one scene to the next with natural ebb and flow but with something of a lackluster effort at depth. If dozens of other movies that follow this same structure did not exist, Big George Foreman would probably play much better than it does, but the rote execution doesn’t quite do justice to the story. This is a solid movie, and the character is well worth a two-hour investment, but the film needed something to help it stand apart beyond the name in the title.

Yet the film remains oddly compelling despite the structural conformities thanks in large part to the larger-than-life character who starts low, quickly ascends, and finds himself suddenly called into the ministry at the peak of a lucrative boxing career. The story takes a couple of more twists from there that lead George back into the ring (and also reveal some of the reasons why he returned). George’s turn to God gives the story some depth beyond the basics and motivation for a return to the ring.

The fight scenes are well done, and boxing fans will enjoy the choreography and photography. The real weak spots come with the various digital adds and inserts: boxing matches are littered with phony backgrounds which look like a video game: they’re pretty distracting, but not so distracting as a shot of a George-in-training carrying a digital cow on his back. That shot should have been cut, even as it's based on a real photo of Foreman in training for his comeback. Superimposing Khris Davis’ face on Foreman during the Holyfield fight adds further digital disappointment to an otherwise solid movie.

Big George Foreman Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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.

Big George Foreman Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

Big George Foreman Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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: A Look at the Message & The Making of the Film (1080p, 11:16): Foreman himself, in addition to cast and crew, talk up how Foreman's story of fighting and faith have been brought to the screen, including a look at the real George Foreman, cast and performances, George Tillman Jr.'s work as director, story and themes, and more.
• Toe to Toe: Foreman & Ali (1080p, 3:31): Looking back at the "Rumble in the Jungle" and choreographing and shooting the fight.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 18:45 total runtime): Included are Then Do It Right, Raising Flag, George Fights Liston, Not Your Daddy, Need to Know the Truth, Leroy Moorehead, and George Apologizes to Nancy.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 1:14): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

Big George Foreman Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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!.