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Blu-ray Review: BIG GEORGE FOREMAN

Home » Blu-ray Review: BIG GEORGE FOREMAN

Jun 26, 2023 Posted by in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Ever since he was a young boy in the Fifth Wards in Houston in the 1960s, the only thing George Foreman has been good at is fighting. His family is extremely poor, and his mother (Sonja Sohn, Will Trent) works hard to provide food and a roof for George and his three siblings. George may be significantly larger than his classmates, but that doesn’t stop them from making fun of him, and he often resorts to violence. It looks like young George is headed down a dead end path in life. That’s when George receives what feels like a calling—one of many he will experience in his life. While running away from the police for the umpteenth time, a now teenage George (Khris Davis, Atlanta) notices a TV ad in a shop window for the Job Corps. This could be an opportunity to set his life on the straight and narrow, learning job skills while also getting an education, food, a bed, and some spending money. As much as George tries to remain focused, it isn’t long before his anger once again threatens to mess up the opportunity. However, school administrator Doc Broadus (Forest Whitaker) sees something in George, and the potential for him to channel his anger into the more organized outlet of boxing. He offers to coach George, along with trainer/promoter Dick Sadler (Dwayne Lamont Barnes) and former lightweight champion Archie Moore (Lawrence Gilliard Jr., The Deuce).

Big George Foreman follows George Foreman’s life as he rises up the ranks taking on champs like Muhammad Ali (Sullivan Jones, The Gilded Age, Harlem), enjoying a lavish lifestyle, and dreaming of becoming the heavyweight champion of the world. But a major setback, and a family emergency causes Foreman to reexamine his life. He feels a different calling, and his faith starts to take over (something that his religious mother surely prefers over boxing). George decides he wants to become a preacher and start his own church. Along the way, he meets and falls in love with the beautiful and devout Mary Joan (Jasmine Mathews), who initially has some doubts about George’s transformation, but he throws himself into this venture wholeheartedly. However, financial issues force George to look at getting back into the ring. He’s now a lot older, out of shape, and not rally the picture of a top athlete. But once again, he believes this is his calling. Can his faith and persistence pay off and finally win back his title?

While I was aware of the broad strokes of Foreman’s boxing career (and of course his famous “Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine”), I didn’t know about his upbringing or his faith/role as a pastor. So this film was an interesting look deeper into the life story of this fascinating man. Star Khris Davis does an excellent job of bringing this icon to life, transforming himself physically to embody both the lean, mean 19-year-old at the start of his career, as well as the overweight, out of shape 45-year-old returning to the ring. You really get a sense of the anger and fight in the younger George who’s looking to lash out at the world, as well as the sense of peace that faith has brought to adult George. The viewer is taken on a wonderful emotional journey with this character as he constantly tries to find his place and answer his callings.

The film has an amazing supporting cast. Sonja Sohn always has a commanding and emotional presence as Geroge’s mother Nancy. Sullivan Jones is a delight as the wise-cracking Muhammad Ali. Forest Whitaker provides a lot of heart as George’s mentor and coach. Shein Mompremier (who plays Paula, an amalgamation of several women from Foreman’s life), and Jasmine Mathews (who plays Geroge’s wife Mary Joan) both have great chemistry with Khris Davis.

Big George Foreman has been released by Sony’s inspirational and faith-based AFFIRM Films. However, I wouldn’t really call it a religious movie. While faith plays a major role in Foreman’s mid and later life, this is only a small portion of the film. The movie primarily concentrates on Foreman’s boxing career—both when he’s just starting out as a seemingly unstoppable Olympics-bound 19-year-old, to his return to the ring later on in life, a less angry, but also out-of-shape and an unlikely champion. The film is an excellent sports movie, with some really exciting boxing sequences that put the viewer right in the ring to experience what it was like for Foreman, both young and old, as he tries to take down his opponents to claim the title. In addition to the boxing, the film also has this really engaging dramatic, and sometimes comedic (particularly when we get to the older George) narrative, making the viewer really care about George, his family, and the journey he is on as we follow him through the various stages in his life and career. If I had one complaint, it’s that I wish we could have seen more about him and the grill, instead of just the single line that made it into the trailer.

Sony has released Big George Foreman on Blu-ray & DVD, but it is also available in 4K on Digital. I was sent the Blu-ray for review, which features a very clean, clear picture throughout. There is an excellent level of detail, especially in the close-ups during the fights, where you can see the beads of sweat as these men duke it out for the title. The disc’s audio track also really shines, making the viewer feel like they are right there in the gym or in the ring with George, making nice use of the stereo and surround channels to provide an really immersive ambiance, and capture every thud and punch.

The Blu-ray disc comes in a standard HD keepcase, placed inside a glossy cardboard slipcover. An insert provides instructions on how to redeem an HD digital copy of the film. The bonus material consists of 15 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast/crew, 7 deleted/extended scenes, and a short gag reel.


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Film: (2:09:10)

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