Tina - What's Love Got To Do With It [1993]

Ms. Bassett plays Tina with all the earthy charm and sexual magnetism of the real life Tina Turner. Laurence Fishburne gives an amazingly effective performance as Ike, at once both repellent and charismatic. The movie focuses on their relationship, one which sowed the seeds for the Tina Turner we know today.

What started out as a match made in heaven, quickly soured as Tina naturally took the lead musically in their Ike and Tina Turner Revue. When it became clear that Tina was the one for whom the fans were clamoring, Ike did not take lightly to being second banana, and their relationship became one of domestic discord and abuse, with Ike easing into the role of abusive husband with relative ease.

When Tina finally had had enough, she divorced Ike, taking nothing from the marriage except her children and her show business name, the name she earned. From there, she went on to rebuild her life and career, becoming the world renowned rock and roll diva she is today. Ike, a substance abuser, ended up in prison for narcotics possession and fell into relative obscurity, little more than a footnote in rock and roll history.

This is a film well worth watching, with great performances and great music.


THE TRIUMPHANT STORY OF A REAL LIFE SURVIVOR...   December 2, 2002
Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

This is an incredible, highly energized film about the life of rock and roll diva, Tina Turner, and her stormy relationship with her controlling and physically abusive husband, Ike Turner. Award calibre performances are turned in by Angela Bassett, as Tina, and Laurence Fishburne, as Ike. They are both absolutely riveting.

Ms. Bassett plays Tina with all the earthy charm and sexual magnetism of the real life Tina Turner. Laurence Fishburne gives an amazingly effective performance as Ike, at once both repellent and charismatic. The movie focuses on their relationship, one which sowed the seeds for the Tina Turner we know today.

What started out as a match made in heaven, quickly soured as Tina naturally took the lead musically in their Ike and Tina Turner Revue. When it became clear that Tina was the one for whom the fans were clamoring, Ike did not take lightly to being second banana, and their relationship became one of domestic discord and abuse, with Ike easing into the role of abusive husband with relative ease.

When Tina finally had had enough, she divorced Ike, taking nothing from the marriage except her children and her show business name, the name she earned. From there, she went on to rebuild her life and career, becoming the world renowned rock and roll diva she is today. Ike, a substance abuser, ended up in prison for narcotics possession and fell into relative obscurity, little more than a footnote in rock and roll history.

This is a film well worth watching, with great performances and great music. Look for the live stage performance by the real life Tina Turner at the end of the film. That alone is worth the price of this video.


TINA is simply the best!!   October 25, 2004
Great White (Leicester, England)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This film needs only one word to describe it. That word is POWER! Power belonging to the riviting soundtrack, power to the performances and power from the story that was tina's life. This is my favourite film. The story of Tina needs to be seen for you to understand exactly what she had to go through to get where she is today; one hell of a rock diva. Angela Bassett should have had an oscar for her performance as Tina as she brought her character alive. When she sang, you sang. When she was beat by Ike, you felt the pain and when she fought back, you cheered. I'm so glad that she came out of it the way she did. She was a young woman who was scared to becoming a woman who was strong. Well done tina, we are all proud. Laurence Fishburne played a great Ike. He was vicious but also had the charisma for the ladies. Although i dont think that he ever cared or loved her by the way he treated her. I mean what husband gets his wife out of a hospital bed just to be able to go to a gig in New York, then he gets upset when she says she cant sing. What was up with that guy? He cared more about the fame than he did about her. And when she got noticed more than him, he just couldn't take it. Then started the violent rage and it was hard to watch when he got mad. It says at the end Ike was thrown in jail. So he should have been....maybe a lot sooner. For Assault, rape, drug abuse and embezzelment. For the real Tina fans, you are treated to a fantastic concert performance first with Angela as Tina then The real Tina. If you aint seen it, you cant afford to miss it.


girl power style diva shines and succeeds!   January 3, 2002
wizzy22@aol.com (cambridgeshire)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Brilliant film that anyone who enjoys Tina's music will simply adore. However, even if you don't appreciate her music you'll love the film. A hardhitting, yet real life drama-showing the reality of the up's and down's of fame, the music industry and of course the art of being in love. You can't help but feel her triumphs when she overcomes her husband, nor can you help but cry with her pain and mourn with her sorrow. Definitely one for the ladies with an uplifting ending and if you didn't like Tina before, i'm sure you will have nothing but admiration after!