Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gritty boxer biopic has cursing, brutal violence, sex.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Mike
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
MIKE is a dramatic biopic about the controversial life of boxing heavyweight champion Mike Tyson (played here by Zaiden James, B.J. Minor, and Trevante Rhodes). Tyson's early life is molded by poverty, violence, and his troubled relationship with his mother, Lorna Mae (Olunike Adeliyi). After being discovered while in a reform school for juveniles by legendary boxing trainer Cus D'Amato (Harvey Keitel) at 12, boxing becomes Tyson's gateway to a better life. But as his career gets bigger, Tyson finds himself negotiating boxing politics, exploitation, fame, love, and eventually the demons that followed him from childhood.
Is It Any Good?
This gritty limited series, which was not authorized by Mike Tyson, offers a skewed and rather superficial look at the boxer's life. The Mike narrative, which is offered as a flashback narrated by Tyson at different ages, jumps to different key moments in his life (including brief scenes of boxing matches) and attempts to underscore how systematic racism and poverty shaped them. The quick pace of these events' presentation keeps it from fully demonstrating how they specifically affected his career, relationships, and troubles over time. As a result, what Mike offers is a dramatization of events already discussed in the media, and it doesn't reveal anything particularly surprising or insightful. Some sports fans may be drawn to it, but as far as biopics go, this one could be a lot better.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the relationship between race, poverty, and boxing in the United States. Why do some argue that boxing exploits Black and Latino men? Do you agree with this assessment? Why?
What does it mean when a TV show or film that's based on someone's life is "unauthorized"? Do you think Mike would have told the story differently, or offered a different narrative, had it been authorized by Mike Tyson?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 25, 2022
- Cast : Trevante Rhodes , Olunike Adeliyi , Harvey Keitel
- Network : Hulu
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : October 8, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate