Giant: A Missed Opportunity in Prince Naseem Hamed’s Biopic

The film ‘Giant,’ screened at the London Film Festival, aims to chronicle the rise of ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed, a Sheffield-born boxer of Yemeni descent, under the guidance of Irish trainer Brendan Ingle, played by Pierce Brosnan. The story traces Hamed’s journey from a young fighter facing racism to a flamboyant world champion in the 1990s, only to later sever ties with Ingle in a bitter fallout. Amir El-Masry portrays Hamed, and Toby Stephens plays promoter Frank Warren. Despite a promising cast and real-life drama, the film struggles with flat dialogue, lackluster boxing scenes, and an absence of nuance in Hamed’s character. Key moments, like a tense gym confrontation between Hamed and Ingle, lack resolution, leaving viewers wanting. While Brosnan delivers some humor, the film’s emotional core—Hamed and Ingle’s relationship—feels underdeveloped. The movie also leans on heavy-handed exposition and overbearing music, diminishing its impact. A plot point involving a tell-all book adds some intrigue, but the film fails to dramatize Hamed’s eventual tribute to Ingle, relegating it to closing credits. ‘Giant’ has moments of charm but ultimately fails to deliver the knockout punch its story deserves. It opens in UK and Irish cinemas on January 9.