One thing I love about ESPN’s 30 for 30 series is the variety of stories it manages to tell. Recent entries into the catalog have looked at everything from soccer to sports talk radio and high school football to the short-lived XFL. Next up, a film that goes by just one name: Tommy.
“You know me from Rocky V, but in real life, I’m Tommy Morrison.”
What if I told you… #Tommy debuts Sept. 13th. https://t.co/HYXsQQNOah pic.twitter.com/Y9TyR8VX6z
— ESPN Films 30 for 30 (@30for30) August 26, 2017
Despite the title, Tommy isn’t about a pinball wizard but a boxer — one named Tommy “The Duke” Morrison. As the film shows, Morrison rose to prominence in the sport after starring alongside Sly Stallone in Rocky V. Later, he’d go on to fight some of the best and most well-known boxers in the world. Unfortunately, that fame afforded Morrison a certain lifestyle that would prove hazardous in the long run.
Like with What Carter Lost, a previous 30 for 30 installment I reviewed, what I see as the main story of Tommy comes just beyond the midpoint of the film. I always like to go into these films cold myself, so I won’t go into detail, but this bombshell really grabbed my attention after what was kind of a lukewarm first act. This isn’t the fault of directors Gentry Kirby and Erin Leyden (who previously directed the great This Magic Moment for ESPN and have produced some of the best films of the 30 for 30 series) and is more a symptom of my aversion to — or at least apathy for — the sport of boxing. Moreover, the hard-partying athlete storyline did little to elevate my interest until the aforementioned discovery.
As you can probably tell, Tommy was far from my favorite 30 for 30. Still, the film certainly had its moments and packed some emotional punch, if you will. Additionally, although the film’s story would likely prove less surprising to boxing fans, I have to assume they’d get more out of this well-done documentary than I would. For the rest of us, Tommy is worth a watch… just don’t feel bad if you miss the first half hour.
Tommy airs tonight, September 27th, at 8 p.m. on ESPN 2 and is also available to stream on the ESPN app.
Enjoy Tommy and other great titles in the 30 for 30 Documentary library with a subscription to ESPN+.