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The Power of One Play Trailer

The Power of One (1992)

tomatometer

13

Average Rating: 3.6/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 7

No consensus yet.

audience

86

liked it
Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 9,442

My Rating

Movie Info

John G. Avildsen, director of Rocky and The Karate Kid, adapts Bryce Courtenay's compassionate novel about the coming of age of a white anti-apartheid activist during the years of World War II in South Africa. Avildsen cumbersomely grafts Courtenay's tale of fighting apartheid onto a Hollywood-style fight-for-the-championship bout. Seven-year-old P.K. (Guy Witcher) is a white South African raised on his family's farm by his Zulu nanny. When his mother takes ill, he is sent away to an Afrikaner

PG-13,

Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International

Jun 22, 1999

Warner Home Video

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The Power of One Trailer & Photos

Critic Reviews for The Power of One

All Critics (18) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (7) | Rotten (11) | DVD (3)

Beautifully produced and gorgeously shot on location in Zimbabwe by lenser Dean Semler, picture has depth, dimension and first-rate casting.

May 20, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Avildsen draws good performances from the three actors who play PK, as well as from the ever-reliable Freeman and Müller-Stahl, but subtlety is abandoned when he focuses on the ring and teen romance.

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The film's facile treatment of racial issues may be enough to bring back the practice of throwing tomatoes at the screen.

August 30, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Times
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A violent cartoon that trivializes apartheid. If there's any justice, the birds of loneliness will be circling the box office.

May 12, 2001 Full Review Source: Rolling Stone
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It's resounding bunk, candied over with the lush music of Johnny Clegg and hyped to death by director John ("Rocky") Avildsen.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Though rife with worthy intentions and great notions, this populist safari manages to be both patronizing and manipulative.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post
Rita Kempley
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Mushy

August 2, 2003
John Esther
Pasadena Weekly

A startling film about a young South African boy's coming of age under the tutelage of three spiritual elders.

July 18, 2003 Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

This is patronizing, offensive garbage, bought to you by the director of The Karate Kid.

May 24, 2003 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment (1)
Film4

Mostly, it's a long, heavy-handed narrative about the personal costs of South Africa's system of apartheid, set in the removed safety of bygone decades and mixed with generous helpings of Chariots of Fire and Rocky.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
View all critic reviews (18)

Audience Reviews for The Power of One

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Another movie I had to watch in school about apartheid in South Africa. This is one of the best of the bunch, I think. It's exciting and dramatic and has a lot of good actors. If you want to see a movie on the subject, I'd recommend this one.
September 6, 2010
ajv2688
AJ Verser

Super Reviewer

Ladies and gentlemen, here is an example of a very rare type of film, a mediocre one. Truly mediocre, equal parts bad and good, one of the worst kind of movies to watch. Why are they so bad to watch? A good film, well, you enjoy it, and a bad film can be made fun of for a good laugh. But The Power of One has some great performances (Morgan Freeman, and a very young Daniel Craig), but the absolutely shoddy writing hurts it. The movie is decent up until the last 20 minutes in which (SLIGHT SPOILERS) a main character is killed in a borderline hilarious fashion (felt like it was part of a Monty Python skit, not a serious dramatic death). The last 20 minutes try to end the movie as quickly as it can, so the ending feels rushed and to top if all off, has NO closure to speak of. NONE. Don't recommend this one, only if you're desperate to watch Morgan Freeman or Daniel Craig.
March 8, 2011
Jacob Ethington
Jacob Ethington

Super Reviewer

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Latest News on The Power of One

February 21, 2012:
Orlando Bloom Is Zulu Bound
He's teaming up with Djimon Hounsou for an adaptation of Caryl Ferey's novel, set in post-apartheid...

October 14, 2005:
It's Official: Daniel Craig is 007
ComingSoon.net shares with us the long-in-coming announcement, and it's one that shouldn't stun any...

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