Official Synopsis:
David Beckham is a phenomenon. The only man on the planet capable of securing a headline-grabbing $250 million contract – then returning to lead England to victory when naysayers had him slated for retirement! With commentary from players and pundits, pictures and footage from the climaxes and crucial challenges of his career so far, and exclusive family photos, David Beckham – Life of an Icon shows how he’s achieved it all. Features Beckham’s greatest moments including: England vs. Greece in the heated World Cup Qualifying match, his recall for England vs. Brazil and Real Madrid’s electrifying La Liga championship campaign.
  
Our Take:
One word sums up my feelings about David Beckham: Life of an Icon: nothing.

My mother, like so many other people’s, often told me as I was growing up, “If you can’t say something nice about someone, say nothing.”  So, there, I’ve said it. An un-authorized biography is hard enough in a book form but it becomes so much harder in a visual format, such as this DVD. Telling the story of someone’s life in film is complicated without cooperation from the subject because the store of photos and videos that can help tell the story is much smaller. The lack of real video of matches or clear, interesting photos of Beckham during his life detract from the DVD. Much of the ‘unfolding’ of his life and play on the field is told by minor journalists and high school buddies … need I say more?

There are five extra interviews included with the DVD:

* Brand Beckham ( 7 minutes) – Why does his sponsorship sell product?

* The Beckham Phenomenon (3 minutes) – Why do people care so much about Beckham?

* The Kofi Annan Story (2 minutes) – Meant to illustrate Beckham’s influence.

* Beckham in America (3 minutes) – Pretty self-explanatory..

* Why Beckham? (2 minutes) – A good question.

When I was in the service, I was stationed in Scotland for a few years and watched a lot of “football” and appreciate good soccer. An interest in the sport, though, does not mean I will automatically scoop up any old garbage just because it’s associated, however slightly, with the sport. Unless you are a rabid British fan who lives and breathes Manchester United soccer, you will be extremely disappointed if you pay anything to watch David Beckham: Life of an Icon because it is pure crap.

Overall Picture:
Movie: D-
DVD: C

- Tony Gray
Staff Writer