Sometimes that fight has a higher purpose….

While Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World is easily a front runner for the longest film title of the year it’s also a pretty solid sports bio pic that for the most part allows the narrative to shine rather than any name brand actors that could steal the spotlight.

Fueled by an impoverished childhood, George 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.

Certainly not a perfect effort but Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World actually manages to succeed as it gives us a pretty decent sense of the life and times of George himself.

First off, the hard core boxing fans and purists will get a little annoyed as the movie does gloss over some of the stats and historical moments in Foreman’s career which causes some mild pacing issues but it never really takes away from what an inspirational character and man Foreman truly is.

Director (and co-writer) George Tillman Jr does a solid job here in bringing this story to the screen as it’s well shot, with a well moving (all be it occasionally uneven) narrative that ropes us in pretty quickly.

It actually manages to surge thanks to a mostly unknown cast which never draws focus from the story of the man himself.  Tillman and his team put as much of their budget as they had to spare on to the screen allowing us to be in the moment during the ups and downs of his life which fly on to the screen thanks to some surprisingly strong performances, particularly from the top of the call sheet.

In the title role, newcomer Khris Davis is something of a revelation as he pours himself into the role of George Foreman.  From the early formative years to the his more seasoned days as a pitch man and 45 year old heavyweight champion, Davis never feels like he is trying to ape or mimic the man .  Rather he finds a sweet spot in the performance that allows for all sides of who this man is to shine out on to the screen, even when it’s not so pretty.

The only real name actor in the film is Forest Whittaker as his long time confident and trainer Doc Broadus but this exceptionally strong cast including the likes of Jasmine Matthews as his wife Mary Joan proves that genuine ensemble casts and performances really don’t need any actors with name brand value.  At the end of the day they just need actors who are really damn good at their jobs, and this film has that in spades.

Ultimately, Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World is not a film that will make everyone happy but what it does exceptionally well is cut to the quick of what these sports bio pics can often lose track of.  No matter the sport, these athletes and heroes that so many generations end up look up to are almost always more than the sum of the parts we see in the public eye.   This film allowed us to see George Foreman, the individual and not just George Foreman the list of professional accomplishments and it’s the latter that makes him all the more interesting to watch.