Champs (film)

Champs is a 2014 documentary film focusing on boxers Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and Bernard Hopkins. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 19, 2014.^[2] Amplify and Starz released the film on March 13, 2015, in a limited release and through video on demand.^[3]

Cast

• Mike Tyson
• Evander Holyfield
• Bernard Hopkins
• Mark Wahlberg
• Denzel Washington
• Ron Howard
• Spike Lee
• Mary J. Blige
• 50 Cent
• Naazim Richardson

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 56% of 18 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 5.6/10.^[4] Metacritic rated it 59/100 based on 13 reviews.^[5] Tyler Birss writes that the film "classifies as a must-see documentary".^[6] Geno McGahee agrees stating that CHAMPS "is one of the best boxing documentaries that [he] ha[s] ever seen" and gave it a 10/10 review.^[7] Randall Unger also reacted positively to the film, stating: "[h]opefully Bert Marcus will continue making stellar films like this one because he certainly has knack for it and a terrific grasp of his subjects. Whether you’re a fan of boxing or just curious about the psychology of fighters, then Champs is right up your alley. Bottom line, this film is a winner.".^[8] Jeff Sorensen explains that: "Champs is really a film that needs to be viewed to really understand the scope of what it tries to show the viewer. It really attempts to show the courage of what it takes to be a man among such hardships. We all fail at times. We all hit major turning points in our lives. Champs shows 3 men who have been through the best of the best and the absolute worst of the worst." ^[9] Eddie Cockrell of Variety called it "slick but cliched".^[1] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "In his debut doc about superstar fighters, Bert Marcus offers more sociology than boxing fans may expect, using mean-streets origin stories not just for biographical intrigue but to comment on hardships his subjects faced later in life."^[10] Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times wrote that the film "needs a trip through a cliché-removing machine".^[11] Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the documentary experiences "varied success" but "comes from a place of caring for an oft-maligned sport".^[12] Nick Schlager of Slant Magazine rated it 2/4 stars and called it "an unfocused mishmash that thrives only when it fixates on footage of actual bouts".^[13] At Indiewire, Kevin Jagernauth wrote that it "examines what it means to be a man" and "while the director has no shortage of famous people showing up — Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, Ron Howard, Spike Lee, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent — their contributions are carefully and tastefully selected, with Marcus largely ceding to the more knowledgeable and less flashy experts, who are the ones that truly contribute the context to make "Champs" as insightful as it is",^[14] and Zeba Blay described it as "more a social documentary than a sports documentary".^[15] Ashton Morris of The Hot Zone said, "Bert Marcus, with keen intellect and whimsical creativity, illuminates a long ignored "issue" – that's putting it lightly – in a sport that has left its mark on the fabric of our country's history."^[16]

Additionally, various interviews with cast members the director were featured during the film's release, explaining that this film is more than just a boxing movie.^[17] For example, Sean Crose writes: "[p]erhaps that’s why Marcus’ new documentary, Champs, deals with more than just its main subjects: Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins, respectively. Indeed, Marcus wants his film to start 'a conversation about really important issues.'".^[18]

References

External links

• Champs at the Internet Movie Database
• Champs at Rotten Tomatoes
• Champs at Metacritic