The latest all-pro documentary from HBO Sports is a tale of "myopic hero worship" that transcended the ballfield despite the hero's obvious flaws. Mickey Mantle was an athlete for the ages, but his tumultuous personal life is the backbone of "Mantle," which traces his bumpkin beginnings through his Hall of Fame career to his later meltdowns and post-liver transplant personal clarity. [...] producer George Roy's unfettered and agenda-free docu bores past the bedrock; it not only describes how the party never stopped, it addresses why -- and lets the viewer weigh the consequences.

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