We all know the name, George Foreman, whether it be from his highly successful grills that we know and love or his history as the heavyweight champion of the world, but what is the story behind the name and the man?
Big George Foreman: 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 channeled his anger into becoming an Olympic Gold medalist and World Heavyweight Champion, followed by a near-death experience that took 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.
From director George Tillman Jr. we experience the highs and allows of Foreman’s life and we can’t help but be emotionally involved from the first scene and continue to be across almost 50 years of his story,
The truly inspiring story leaves you re-evaluating everything once you leave the theatre, as we become familiar with George’s life and struggle as a child and how he became acquainted with boxing
With Khris Davis giving a one-of-a-kind performance as George and Sullivan Jones as his competitor Muhammad Ali, making us feel as though Ali was right in front of us, it immersed us into the time and gave us the story firsthand.
Aside from the energetic boxing scenes and fights, we see a glimpse of Foreman’s personal life, starting with his mother, the matriarch who was always living for her children and making sure they were taken care of. Despite the love and respect for his mom Foreman does fall from himself after alleged infidelity with his first wife, who he was besotted with when he initially met her, but as life goes, sometimes it doesn’t plan out the way you hoped. The movie only shares his life with two out of his four wives, but we do meet all of his children towards the end.
Big George Foreman was long overdue and while not every detail can be accounted for in a 133-minute run time, it does an excellent job of telling this special story.
Watch it now in theatres this weekend.