Mike, Hulu's new limited series based on the life of the legendary boxer and infamous convict Mike Tyson, debuted on Wednesday, August 25, 2022, with a sloppy set of episodes.
Steven Rogers' seemingly brilliant series, which follows Tyson from his humble beginnings in Brownville to his eventual rise to become the world's youngest heavyweight champion, lacked that something special.
The series, which was created without Tyson's permission, has received widespread criticism from a variety of media outlets, including Tyson himself.
However, based on the first two episodes, the protagonist's cause for complaint is rather minor. The first two episodes are almost entirely focused on Tyson, almost adoringly. Furthermore, the half-hour episodes appear rushed and patchy in places.
Read on for a detailed review of Mike episodes 1 and 2.
Mike episode 1 and 2: Brilliant production design fails to save a disjointed narrative
There are plenty of reasons to be upset after watching the first two episodes of Mike. For one thing, things seem to move too quickly in the half-hour runtime. The creators clearly attempted to generate sympathy for the bullied and harassed young Tyson, but the effect did not materialise due to the inconsistent pacing.
The point of view, or gaze of the director is an essential component of any film, as it distinguishes a medium like cinema from a book. The series left little room for reflection. The portrayal of Tyson's life events in this series appeared to be subjectively biased toward painting a positive picture of a heavily controversial figure.
But, not all hope is lost
Aside from the problems, the first two episodes had a lot to offer. Trevante Rhodes, who plays the titular character, is one of the series' brightest stars. The Moonlight star is just as radiant and convincing in this eight-part series. His conviction is evident from the first minute of the show. Keitel, thas a similar influence in the second episode too.
The brilliant "tough guy" from the peak era of gangster films could have been handed out more time. He introduces and concludes his character in the second episode. Perhaps slowing the pace down at this point would have worked well.
The gaze of sympathy towards Tyson is evident. His life story was depressing. However, the character's development felt out of place. It is too early to say whether the series will maintain this tone, but if it does, it will be a mixed bag.
The excellent camera work is another highlight of the show. Although the boxing sequences could have been more detailed, the shots were breathtaking. Among the other highlights are the slow-motion knockouts. This is complemented by some beautiful color schemes.
All in all, Mike is not off to a perfect start, but it still has enough time to fix things and make it into a perfect biopic series.
The first two episodes of Mike are now streaming on Hulu.