Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Concussion [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray]

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A Movie That Changed My Life

Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2016

This movie has absolutely changed my life and in a way that I was simply not expecting. Like so many young boys in America I was raised by a father who loved football almost more than anything else in his life. From an early age I spent most of my weekends in Fall/Winter watching “the game” and watching the admiration of my father as he tried to live vicariously through the players on the screen. I knew from the age of 7 that I needed to be a football player so I could make my dad proud, and be one of those people that he was watching on the TV.

I played from the age of 10 all the way through college. I sacrificed so much, and although I never played a single snap with a professional jersey on my back I always felt like I owed “so much to football” because of all the things “it gave to me”. No matter how many times I hurt myself, not even when I needed a spine fusion in my neck did I change my opinion that football was one of the fondest memories of my youth.

As I watched this movie I remember the moment where my wife pressed paused to ask me, “Hey honey are you okay?” I didn’t even know what to say to her. I said I was okay, but we both knew that what I was seeing had lifted the veil from my eyes. Will Smith does such a masterful job of playing the role of a man who refuses to relent in the face of such a horrendous truth. All of the characters in this movie help us all to see that this is more than just a fictitious story that we get to enjoy and then walk away from. This movie forces us all to face facts and come to grips with something that so many people have refused to see for far too long.

I blame no one but myself for my choices, but this movie has helped give me the lost piece of the puzzle to my life back. It helps me to understand all of the truly irrational behaviors that I have exhibited over the last 20 years of my life. Concussion is more than a movie. It is a gift to countless families who otherwise might lose their sons the same way we lost so many other players to this irresponsible and reckless “sport”. I wish I could meet the writers of this movie so I could hug them and thank them for the boldness of this movie and the message is speaks. Concussion has given my children, my wife, my parents and my colleagues a gift that I never can truly repay.

This is a movie that everyone should watch. Concussion is more than just a movie, it is a revelation, and it absolutely and completely changed my life.

149 people found this helpful

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NFL like big corporations never want to admit that they're wrong

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2021

Concussion is the story of Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) who discovered that NFL football players were suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to hits on their head while playing. It caused massive changes in their personalities, brain damage and sometimes death. Dr. Omalu went up against the multi-million dollar professional football business who felt like his findings were a threat to their livelihood.

The main message of the film was that the NFL cared about its profits more than science, medicine and its players. There’s a big scene about this that gets really preachy but it’s still a strong one.

There’s two former football players from the Steelers who are the first cases that Omalu ran into. I think a little bit more time could have been given to their plights. I know as a parent whose son played football in high school and junior college the threat of CTE was always on my mind. My son got two concussions that we know about which freaked me out. Athletes who go onto play pro must run into this even more often and the fact that the NFL didn’t care should be no surprise. This is how huge companies act when they are accused of negligence or wrongdoing.

5 people found this helpful

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Jacob Morales

A Movie That Changed My Life

Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2016

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149 people found this helpful

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Julie K.

Phenomenal and Thought-Provoking

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2021

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As a huge football fan, a huge Steelers fan, a huge Will Smith fan, a resident of Pittsburgh, and a student of brain diseases, I could not wait for this movie to come out! I went the first weekend it opened in theaters, bought it when the DVD came out, and have recommended it to countless people digitally. Needless to say, I have seen it several times.

The subject matter is tricky, to be sure. The idea that America's hottest sport can and does contribute to mental incapacities is a tough pill to swallow. The way the NFL is portrayed to have handled the issue lacks compassion and seems to affirm what we all already know - money talks. But do we bare any responsibility in that as fans? As parents of players? As coaches or sports medicine staff? Ultimately, the point is less threatening than it first appears.

Once the discoveries are made, the only thing Dr. Bennet Omalu wanted was for players to be made aware of the risk they take in playing the game with respect to this specific brain issue - CTE. He was not trying to kill the game of football or stick it to the NFL. His expertise in his field led him to make a connection that no one had made before, and it explained a lot of behaviors that grieving family members could not reconcile from their loved ones. It gave these survivors a modicum of peace, and he only wanted to warn future players and loved ones what the possibilities could be. What anyone does with that knowledge is up to them, but don't kill the messenger. (Or intimidate his family.)

The acting was phenomenal. I completely forgot that Will Smith was Will Smith while watching him embody Dr. Omalu. The accent, the lack of showmanship, the humility of an immigrant trying to perfect his craft while wading through American culture and society - it was all compelling and well done. Alec Baldwin was on-point, as were the actors who played Mike Webster and Ceril Wecht. The tragic stories of the players' struggles with the disease, not knowing what the heck was wrong with them, but knowing that something was, were played out tastefully and respectfully, but still with all of the disbelief and shock that we felt when we heard of their real life demises on the local news reports when they happened. The scene depicting the last moments of Justin Strzelczyk's life was especially gripping and heart-wrenching, and I wept for him, his wife, and his kids.

CTE is not without its controversy and nay-sayers, but this movie leaves little doubt of its scientific validity. It is sad to watch, yes, but important to know about. And not just for the world of football. Other sports, the military, law enforcement, etc., can all stand to take in a viewing of this film just to learn.

There are some light moments too! Will Smith acting like he can't dance is laughable if you know anything about him, Dr. Omalu's sincere ineptitude at dating is sweet, and the opening courtroom scene endears us to him right away. And of course, Ceril Wecht has some political zingers...

If you are a Yinzer (if you don't know what that means, you're not one), you will enjoy the video clips of the Steelers, the shots of the city and neighboring suburbs, and one particular scene in The Lamont looking out over The Point from Mt. Washington.

But whoever you are, be sure you see this movie. Your life, or that of someone you love, could actually depend on it.

6 people found this helpful

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A sad day for the NFL

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2016

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Wow. This movie should had been considered for more academy awards! The NFL and football establishment needs to change tackling techniques. Let's hope more change will occur. The doctor who discovered the issues of concussions had no agenda or ax to grind. A great movie to watch and understand what is happening!

52 people found this helpful

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Mike PowersTop Contributor: Chess

"Concussion:" a brilliant biographical drama about the doctor who discovered CTE.

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2017

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Last year, I watched the 2013 PBS Frontline episode “League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis,” and read the Fainaru brothers’ non-fiction book of the same name. I recently decided to watch the movie “Concussion,” which is a brilliant biographical drama about Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic pathologist who originally discovered the degenerative brain disease now linked to many former NFL players: chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

“Concussion” tells the story of how Omalu, a brilliant Nigerian-born forensic pathologist and neuropathologist, discovered what he later named as CTE while performing an autopsy on Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Webster, the retired Pittsburgh Steelers center who died in 2002 at age 50.

Peter Landesman’s screenplay shows the tension that developed between Dr. Omalu and the National Football League (NFL) after Omalu published his CTE findings. The optimistic and idealistic Omalu honestly thought the NFL’s senior leadership would thank him for bringing this terrible disease to their attention. Instead, two successive NFL Commissioners and batteries of league-appointed doctors and lawyers steadfastly denied any linkage between CTE the deaths of football players. They attacked not only Omalu’s findings, but also Omalu himself, calling him a “quack,” questioning his professional competence, and even threatening him and his family.

My overall reaction to “Concussion” is very positive. Written and directed by Peter Landesman, “Concussion” includes among its stars Will Smith, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alec Baldwin, David Morse, Albert Brooks, and Arliss Howard. I share the view of many that “Concussion,” although not without its flaws and controversies, is certainly a brilliantly acted, written, and directed film.

Will Smith delivers an especially praiseworthy performance as Dr. Bennet Omalu, as does Gugu Mbatha-Raw as his gentle, loving wife Prema Mutiso. Other performances of note include Baldwin’s portrayal of Dr. Julian Bailes and Albert Brooks’ depiction of Allegheny County Medical Examiner Dr. Cyril Wecht.

I like “Concussion” so much that I recently added it to my Amazon Video digital streaming library. Highly recommended.

15 people found this helpful

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John

A riveting drama documenting a true story you won't want to miss!

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2016

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A riveting drama documenting the true story of how one simple, but brilliant man doing his best each day can turn the world upside down by accidentally exposing one of the biggest tragedies and cover ups in American history. His reward for discovering and publishing the truth about the devastating long-term effects of head trauma from football was to incur the wrath and power of the NFL. Especially poignant is it all began in my home town, Pittsburgh, PA and with one of the players I grew up admiring, Mike Webster in a sport I personally played through college at Penn State. One of the most inspiring and most tragic story lines in the movie is how it took an immigrant to teach us what America is suppose to be. Don't miss this movie, you won't regret it.

27 people found this helpful

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George G Contey

A Real Awaking

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2022

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Fantastic Will Smith does it again .. home run performance ..
A true to life movie of how dangerous playing Football can be
I myself with two boys when the time was to start High School it was Mandatory freshman football
With over 10 years watching my twin boys play baseball , Football was not for them ..
Thank god none of my twin boys was hurt with the first year of high school done.
... finished High school playing baseball there remaining 3 years till graduation ...
Baseball was Always there true Passion. 😊

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Ghost

Will Smith's most important film ever...watch it!

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2017

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Of his 27 movies (counting 2017's Bright), this is, by far, Will Smith's most important one in terms of social responsibility and shedding light on a serious problem. The concussion and sub-concussion problems at any level of football are something we've all known about instinctively for decades, despite the fact that we've chosen to ignore them for a variety of reasons. No one should finish playing any game (football or otherwise) and have to spend the remainder of the weekend in a darkened room taking aspirin and putting cold compresses on his head. This, along with the periodic blurring of vision, forgetfulness, neck and spine pain, tingling in the fingers, etc., is a clear indication one is doing something wrong to one's body. Unfortunately, manhood is often defined by participation in this dangerous sport and so it continues unabated in most parts of the country.

I played from little league up through my third year of college, and now in my late 40s when my motivations for doing so are essentially meaningless, I wish I never had. I wake up everyday with pain that cannot be fixed so I hope many, many youngsters will see this movie and decide it isn't worth it...before it's too late. All I can say is at least my damage and pain, so far, are not brain-related...we'll see.

This film also highlights the incredibly unscrupulous behavior and out of control greed of the NFL. The discovery of the cumulative brain trauma and this film threaten their business so they have done everything in their power to obscure and minimize the problem. They will tell you now that they have recognized the problem and have taken appropriate measures to mitigate the damage by instituting their concussion protocols. I will tell you there is little to nothing that can be done to protect the brain from the damage that football inflicts. Because of the influence of NFL as a big business and the devotion of its vast fan base, there was no way Will was going to get an Oscar for this film. I think he and the creator of this film deserve at least consideration for a Nobel Prize in either Physiology/Medicine or Literature, but really I just wish I could thank them personally for their contributions.

If you have children and are considering allowing them to play this game, or you are a child, yourself, who is being pressured to play, please watch this and watch the PBS documentary, NFL: League of Denial. Open your eyes to all of the facts before you make your final decision. Regardless of the likely unpopularity of my review here, I feel compelled to post this because I know what I'm talking about from experience.

2 people found this helpful

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Dennis P. McMahon

A Battle For Truth

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2017

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[CAUTION: SPOILERS]

Excellent movie! For a change, Truth prevails, and the good guys win.

The National Football League (NFL) is the bad guy here, for allegedly not having revealed information about serous brain damage suffered by many NFL players. Some justice is done as the NFL is forced to settle with thousands of former players and the estates of former players.

Will Smith does superb job portraying Nigerian born Truth seeker Dr. Bennet Omalu, the multi-degreed forensic pathologist who published peer-review findings on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) which was "killing" American football players.

Dr. Omalu worked at the Allegheny County Coroner's Office in Pittsburgh and reported to Dr. Cyril Wecht (played effectively by Albert Brooks). The movie states that it is "based on a true story" which always makes me wonder how much is actually true. For example, the movie refers to legal charges brought against Dr. Wecht regarding Allegheny County resources and his private pathology business. Is it true that the NFL was instrumental in getting those charges brought, and involving the FBI, as the film implies?

Not surprising that Dr. Wecht was very supportive of Dr. Omalu's courageous Truth efforts, for Dr. Wecht is well known in Truth circles for having demonstrated that the Warren Commission findings that Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone assassin who murdered President John F. Kennedy are completely bogus.

In sum, a movie well worth watching!

One person found this helpful

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Hubbell Gardner

A must watch for all football fans...........

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2016

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What an eye opener!! The NFL should be ashamed of itself and we should be ashamed of the NFL. I've been a football fan for many, many years. Loved the game.....had my favorite team, etc. Regarded the players as role models....respected and admired them. Then the drugs,
guns, wife beating, child abuse, animal abuse and every other sick, evil disturbing act started to surface ..... all involving the players in the NFL.
This movie was just another disgusting part of a sad story that the NFL is getting away with not even caring if players are brain damaged for the rest of their lives ...... all for the mighty dollar......everything for the money and how sad the whole thing has become. They are just as corrupt and disgusting as everything else that seems to be happening in our world. The latest being Tom Brady and the "deflategate" mess ... what a joke he is and what a joke the game has become. This movie and what they put this amazing doctor through is just another disgusting eye opening reason to disrespect the NFL and all it stands for ..... even more than I already did. I don't watch football anymore. It's disgusting to me. The money the players make is ridiculous. The players are ridiculous with their antics and the total disrespect for all that professional football players should stand for. This movie is great and everyone should watch it.........if for no other reason, to get the the full perspective on just how dangerous this sport is to all that participate.

2 people found this helpful

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B. Moss-White

A must see.

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2016

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I cannot say how pleased I was to see this made into a film. The acting was stellar, the script believable. Thank you to the director for choosing this. It was brave and important for people to understand the impact of concussions. Many times people have concussions and they don't realize it, so they go undocumented. As a person with over 15 documented concussions ( there are most likely many more do to my profession and times I didn't seem medical treatment), i unfortunately understand some of the torment described. I cannot imagine 70,000 concussions... as it is, I have chronic migraine, dizziness, I fall all of the time and get new injuries because of it, loose my vision at times, have executive functioning and cognitive issues, I can get an actual concussion now and not hit my head! How is that possible? If I fall and the concussion goes through my body to my brain it causes a concussion. I had no idea that was possible until it started happening(and diagnosed by neurologist specializing in tbi). After this my head hurt so bad I literally vomited for 3 months. This all can easily lead to depression and irritability. So next time you ride a bike, horse, motorcycle wear a helmet ( I always say I have yet to hear a good reason to not wear a helmet, because there isn't one). Be aware when doing sports or ANY activity, how many times your head gets hit. You don't want to end up like me, or the unfortunate people in this movie. You don't want to experience how much it sucks.
I again applaud the makers of this film on so many accounts. Thank you. This raises awareness for the risk football players have, but the risk all of us face from multiple traumas to brain. Even if they seem small. CTE scares me, and I am afraid an autopsy after my death ( eventually) would show this. I wish there was a way to diagnose while living. Maybe this awareness can help fund research to diagnose while alive?

2 people found this helpful

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