Champs

Name: Champs
Director: Bert Marcus
Released: 2015

Synopsis

A documentary about the sport of boxing, as seen through the eyes of champions Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins.

83
The Playlist
Tracking the rise of each fighter, Champs underscores the incredible skill, talent and fortitude each had on their way to the top, however it never shies away from pointing out the systemic failures that let them down.
70
The Hollywood Reporter
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.
67
The A.V. Club
As a documentary, Champs feels a bit punch-drunk — weaving from one idea to the next while never quite zoning in on any particular target for too long.
63
Movie Nation
The sport is surveyed and discussed as the historic route of the underclasses to change their station in life.
60
New York Daily News
Often it’s the fighters themselves who best sum up the appeal of “the sweet science.”
60
Los Angeles Times
Champs is all over the place and at times too polished for its own good — too many celebrity fan testimonials when more insider insights would have helped. But it comes from a place of caring for an oft-maligned sport.
50
Slant Magazine
An unfocused mishmash that thrives only when it fixates on footage of actual bouts.
50
Village Voice
There's nothing especially new or vital to these familiar scenes; ditto a late excursion into the realm of concussions — undoubtedly an epidemic for athletes of all stripes, but one that further muddles an already unfocused film.