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Movies / On DVD / When We Were Kings
When We Were Kings

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When We Were Kings (1996)

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Reviews Counted: 41

Fresh: 40

Rotten:1

Average Rating: 8.4/10

Consensus: An engrossing documentary that’s as much about at time and a place as it is about a fight.

Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Synopsis: Twenty-two years in the making, this documentary chronicles one of the most famous heavyweight championship bouts in history, the Muhammad Ali-George Foreman "Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire in 1974. Along with highlights of... Twenty-two years in the making, this documentary chronicles one of the most famous heavyweight championship bouts in history, the Muhammad Ali-George Foreman "Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire in 1974. Along with highlights of underdog Ali's stunning victory and infamous "Rope-A-Dope" tactics, the film also covers the back-story of the event and its cultural significance, with footage of Ali's goodwill tours, concert footage featuring B.B. King and James Brown, interviews with George Plimpton, Norman Mailer and Don King, and more. Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Feature. [More]

Starring: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, George Plimpton, Norman Mailer

Starring: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, George Plimpton, Norman Mailer, James Brown, B.B. King, Don King

Director: Leon Gast

Director: Leon Gast

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Nov 18, 1997

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Widescreen
  • Full Frame - 1.33

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 2.0 - English

Interactive Features:

  • Interactive Menus

Text/Photo Galleries:

  • Biographies - 1. Cast and Crew

Reviews for When We Were Kings

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
10/18/08
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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If anyone deserves an award, it is Ali; his charisma makes the film.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
08/04/08
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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A film as deserving of respect as its subjects.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
08/04/08
Richard Luck
Channel 4 Film
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Wonderful sports documentary covering the 1974 heavyweight championship fight in Zaire.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
05/24/07
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
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Enormously entertaining.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/07
Todd McCarthy
Variety
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The intersection of sports, politics and culture enlivens Leon Gast's entertaining documentary about the heavily promoted 1974 heavyweight championship bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
03/26/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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No comedian was ever funnier, no fighter ever faster than Muhammad Ali, who is caught at the top of his game in Leon Gast's valentine, When We Were Kings.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
03/26/07
Rita Kempley
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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A penetrating emotional analysis of the boxing which is nothing short of inspired.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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This is the real deal.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Jimmy Chertkow
Film Threat
Ratings Image

No review available.

comment Comment
08/14/05
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
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No review available.

comment Comment
06/19/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
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This is a great documentary film and a must for fans of the sport and Ali.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews
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I pick it to win the Oscar for best documentary feature.

Full Review Source: Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) | comment Comment
06/25/04
Judith Egerton
Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
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No review available.

comment Comment
11/20/03
Michelle Alexandria
Eclipse Magazine
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No review available.

comment Comment
09/05/03
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Ratings Image

No review available.

comment Comment
05/21/03
Ryan Cracknell
Movie Views
Ratings Image

When Muhammad Ali achieved victory in Kinshasa on Oct. 30, 1974, he did far more than win a prize fight.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Lawrence Van Gelder
New York Times
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/14/03
Palo Alto Weekly
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Powerful. Provocative. A "must see."

comment Comment
04/30/03
Alex Sandell
Juicy Cerebellum
Ratings Image

No review available.

comment Comment
03/11/03
Enrique Buchichio
Uruguay Total
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
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