Parents' Guide to Big George Foreman

This traditional biographical and faith-based drama benefits from Davis and Sullivan Jones' standout performances as Foreman and Ali. Director George Tillman Jr. employs some of the more formulaic elements of the biopic genre -- using a narrator, following the subject from childhood, and exaggerating or eliminating some aspects of the subject's life -- to uneven effect. The narration in particular grates more than it illuminates, but Davis does a good job of portraying Foreman at various ages, from clueless young man to cheating husband to heavyweight champion. And Jones, although only in a half-dozen scenes, is fabulous as Ali, who manages to show Foreman up more than once. Sonja Sohn is also in fine form as Foreman's steadfast, godly mother, as is Whitaker as the boxer's manager, number one fan, and father figure.

The movie's spiritual themes are sprinkled throughout the first half but become the primary focus of the slow-going second act. As faith-based dramas go, this one is less heavy-handed than many, although it does have a confusing message about whether or not boxing is in keeping with God's wishes. It's unfortunate that the story doesn't more deeply explore Foreman's thoughts about civil rights, Black power, activism, or other important social issues for Black athletes or celebrities of the day. Still, while it's difficult to condense a life story in two hours, the movie does reveal what's most important to Foreman: his legacy as a man of God who defied the odds in and out of the ring.