Do you want to see ‘The Power of One’?

The Power of One (1992)

tomatometer

All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 5/10
Reviews Counted: 18
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 11

No consensus yet.

Average Rating: 3.6/10
Critic Reviews: 7
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 6

No consensus yet.

audience

liked it
Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 9,173

My Rating

Added to your Facebook Timeline. — undo

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, 2 hr. 6 min.

Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International

Directed By: John G. Avildsen

In Theaters: Mar 1, 1992 Wide

On DVD: Jun 22, 1999

Warner Home Video

The Power of One Trailer & Photos

Cast

Stephen Dorff
P.K. at age 18
Morgan Freeman
Geel Piet
Armin Mueller-Stahl
Doc
John Gielgud
Headmaster St. John
Maria Marais
Fay Masterson
Simon Fenton
P.K. Age 12
Guy Witcher
P.K. Age 7
Daniel Craig
Sgt. Jaape Botha
Alois Moyo
Gideon Duma
Ian Roberts
Hoppie Gruenwald
Marius Weyers
Professor Daniel Marais
Christien Anholt
Date at Dinner
Robin Annison
Anita
Gordon Arnell
Minister at Mother's Fu...
Raymond Barreto
Indian Referee
Ed Beeten
Prison Commissioner
Michael Brunner
Kommandant Van Zyl
Robbie Bulloch
Jaapie Bother
Rod Campbell
2nd Van Cop
Jon Cartwright
Jacob
Clare Cobbold
1st Maria's Friend
Marcia Coleman
Woman Guest
Brendan Deary
P.K. Infant
Tony Denham
Boxing Partner
Faith Edwards
Miriam Sisulu
Adam Fogerty
Andreas Malan
Roy Francis
Referee
David Guwaza
Student
Agatha Hurle
Midwife
Nigel Ivy
P.K. Newborn
Edward Jordan
2nd City Cop
David Khabo
Student
Stan Leih
1st Van Cop
Dominic Makuwachuma
Joshua
Cecil Zilla Mamanzi
Ranch Foreman
Winston Mangwarara
Tonderai Infant
Tonderai Masenda
Tonderai
Fay Masterson
Maria Marais
Jeremiah Mnisi
Dabula Manzi
Natalie Morse
2nd Maria's Friend
Banele Dala Moyo
Boy Who Reads
Peggy Moyo
Student
Liz Ngwenya
Nganga Ancient Woman
Eric Nobbs
1st City Cop
Winston Ntshona
Mlungisi
Brian O'Shaughnessy
Colonel Bretyn
Nigel Pegram
1st Man Guest
Joel Phiri
Student
Clive Russell
Sgt. Bormann
Simon Shumba
Man Without Pass
Lungani Sibanda
Student
Tracy Brooks Swope
Mother
Paul Tingay
Grandfather
John Turner
Afrikaner Minister
Bart Van Niekerk
Lieutenant Smit
Reverend Peter Van Vuuren
Minister at Maria's Fun...
Dominic Walker
Morrie Guilbert
Andrew Whaley
Ticket Taker
Hywel Williams
Captain
Nomadlozi Zubheka
Nanny
Caro Jones
Robert Reed
School Fight Opponent
John Osborne
Guard
Nomadlozi Kubheka

Critic Reviews for The Power of One

All Critics (18) | Top Critics (7) | 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

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top 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

| Comment

Janet Maslin

New York Times

Top 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

| Comment

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Top 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

| Comment

Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Top 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

| Comment

Rita Kempley

Washington Post

Top Critic

"The Power of One" begins with a canvas that involves all of the modern South African dilemma, and ends as a boxing movie. Somewhere in between, it loses its way.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

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

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Derek Adams

Time Out

Mushy

August 2, 2003 Comment

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

| Comment

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

| Comment

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Power of One

View All

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

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

March 8, 2011

Jacob Ethington

Super Reviewer

The Power of One Quotes

View All

No quotes approved yet for The Power of One. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Submit a Quote from 'The Power of One'

A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.

Example:

Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try.
Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.