Some may complain about the lack of contextualizing material but what is on the screen is so exciting and energetic that most viewers will probably be too busy tapping their feet and swaying their heads to the beats on display to notice or care.
Soul Power (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:69
Fresh:58
Rotten:11
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: Featuring some incredible performances from many 70s soul legends, Soul Power is an exhilarating snap-shot of a bygone era.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for some thematic elements and brief strong language.
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
Theatrical Release:Jul 10, 2009 Limited
Box Office: $23,893
Synopsis: Though the eyes of the world were on "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974, their ears should have been on Zaire '74, the mammoth music festival that took place in the shadow of the battle between... Though the eyes of the world were on "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974, their ears should have been on Zaire '74, the mammoth music festival that took place in the shadow of the battle between Mohammad Ali and George Foreman. This documentary takes the stellar cut footage from WHEN WE WERE KINGS and chronicles the concerts from big names such as James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, and Celia Cruz. Though Zaire '74 might have been overlooked in favor of the legendary fight, SOUL POWER still packs a serious punch for music fans. [More]
Starring: James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz
Starring: James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz, Don King, Muhammad Ali, Miriam Makeba, Sister Sledge, Crusaders, Spinners, Fania All Stars
Director: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
Director: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
Producer: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, David Sonenberg, Leon Gast
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
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Reviews for Soul Power
As the record of a cultural event, Soul Power is a hit-and-miss affair.
Gluttons for these artists and for music festivals in general might wonder, as I have, whether there’s any way the filmmakers might share more of the remaining 123 1/2 hours.
In addition to the expected shots of Ali and Don King in all their megalomania, the intimate portraits of James Brown, Bill Withers, and B.B. King in his triumphant homecoming are as powerful as their performances.
Passionate fans of the music will relish these archived images while regular moviegoers will be entertained, but not moved by what they see.
This has no contextual structure at all. It is essentially the archive footage slapped together.
Conscientiously, if conventionally edited re-hash of the Oscar-winning "We Were Kings."
James Brown and B.B. King anchor this footnote in boxing history, but the film peaks near the midpoint with Bill Withers' truly soulful performance of "Hope She'll Be Happier."
Director Jeffrey Levy-Hinte pads out the concert footage with not always stimulating backstage stuff, but the music makes it all worthwhile.
Director Jeffrey Levy-Hinte does a terrific job re-creating a landmark moment, with behind-the-scenes footage complementing triumphant performances.
The behind the scenes record of the event is fascinating, both in terms of the mechanics of successfully creating such a massive enterprise and in the personalities involved.
A thrilling time machine that lets you travel to Zaire in 1974 to see legendary performers bringing it all back home.
This is musical history that deserves to be placed alongside the best of its era.
An edifying glimpse at a moment in black history when the world really was looking on.
As a concert film it’s unparalleled: a stunningly photographed, soul-stirring celebration.
Brilliant archive footage and blistering live performances - an exhilarating concert film.
The documentary gives us a tantalising taste of what appear to have been some incredible performances. Such is the quality of the footage and sound recording that you rather wish the film was longer.
Leon Gast's documentary When We Were Kings, about the 1974 Ali-Foreman fight in Zaire, now has a great companion piece.
The concert footage is excellent, with Brown in decent form, even if in truth he was already a decade past his creative peak. Good music movie, thin documentary.
Latest News for Soul Power
July 09, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Bruno is Certified Fresh
This week at the movies, we've got Austrian audacity (Bruno, starring Sacha Baron Cohen) and graduation gratification (I Love You, Beth Cooper, starring Hayden Panettiere and... More...
May 09, 2009:
Images of James Brown, Celia Cruz, B.B. King, Don King, Miriam Makeba from this star studded event ![]()
More...
May 03, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
More...
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