Love him or loathe him, no-one can deny Cristiano Ronaldo's place in the history books as one of the greatest footballers of all time.

And a new film documenting the rise of the former Manchester United star from the streets of Madeira to the bright lights of the Bernabeu shows that no one believes the hype more than Ronaldo himself.

The authorised biopic gives us a window into the behind the scenes life of Ronaldo, or CR7, as his sponsors like to refer to him.

Interspersed with unseen family footage and clips of the main man in action on the pitch, the storyline hinges on Ronaldo's perceived rivalry with Lionel Messi, and the pair's stranglehold on the biggest individual prize in world football, the Ballon D'Or.

The star won the top prize in 2008 while at Manchester United, but Messi pipped him to the post until 2013 before winning it for a third time in 2014.

But the football is a sideshow in the 90 minute film, and it is the insight we glean from the usually steadfastly private striker which provides the real intrigue.

Ronaldo's mother reveals Cristiano, her fourth child, was unwanted and that she considered aborting him.

We are also told of problems with drink within the family, with his father's death in 2005 attributed to addiction, and his brother previously inheriting his father's problems.

But just when you think the film is going to evolve into a warts and all documentary, we are treated to some close ups of Ronaldo's six pack, and wide shots of his massive Madrid home.

In one frankly bizarre scene in his garage, where about 10 top of the range Range Rovers, Porsches and Ferraris glimmer in the Spanish sun, Ronaldo asks his son, Cristiano Junior, (I know), which car is missing because it has gone for repair work.

I dread to think what that young man would think of my humble motor.

It is this combination of guff and revelation which makes the film a disjointed affair.

The film also aims to portray 'super agent' Jorge Mendes, who represents the Portuguese, as a benevolent hero without mention of the millions of pounds the star has earned him in commission payments.

During one of is his largely meaningless rants during a family meal, one of the diners says Mendes should receive an Oscar for his verbal performance.

The Academy won't be interested in this badly disguised vanity project, but fans of football and of rags to riches tales should head to the cinema for an interesting yet fairly bland picture of one of the world's top sportsmen.

Ronaldo is released in cinemas and on DVD on Monday.