A documentary about the early life of three shining and significant figures in boxing Mike Tyson, Bernard Hopkins, and Evander Holyfield, who tell the hardships and obstacles they face in their way to fame.
No one documentary could ever really encompass all that's fascinating and distressing about boxing as a kingmaking sport, a violent cultural phenomenal and a shady business. The slickly made "Champs" certainly tries, with varied success.
What really differentiates this documentary from others is that it doesn't just stick to the cliche boundaries of the backstories of the boxers, it goes into the sociological and cultural factors of boxing.
Like a young kid channeling all of the rage that comes from growing up in poverty without a mentor, Champs suffers from throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall.
The historic, socioeconomic, racial and even poetic roots of pugilism are addressed, and celebs and sportwriters weigh in, but often it's the fighters themselves who best sum up the appeal of "the sweet science."
Now and then this documentary by Bert Marcus rises above mere promotion, leaving you wishing it had tackled the sport's difficult questions in more depth.
