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05/14/03
When We Were Kings (1996)
98
%
Tomatometer
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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,... [More]
Starring: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, George Plimpton, Norman Mailer
Director: Leon Gast
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Reviews for When We Were Kings
A penetrating emotional analysis of the boxing which is nothing short of inspired.
01/26/06
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.
03/26/07
Powerful. Provocative. A "must see."
04/30/03
No review available.
09/05/03
Anyone who sees it and still thinks that the sport is two guys beating each other up just ain't paying attention.
01/01/00
Capturing Ali's legendary charm and enthusiasm, the moment is utterly enchanting. He's stunning here, to-die-for charismatic, terrifically entertaining and confident.
01/01/00
This is a most rewarding picture, full of delightful anecdotes and even touches of suspense.
06/05/02
Ali didn't fumble often, and neither do Gast and Hackford. This is a love-match of filmmakers and subject. Together, they go the distance.
01/01/00
One of the best and most emotionally affecting documentaries ever made.
01/01/00
Wonderful sports documentary covering the 1974 heavyweight championship fight in Zaire.
05/24/07
By the time the fighters enter that ring, the excitement factor is almost uncontrollable.
01/01/00
Top CriticBy portraying the young Ali as hero -- and moving beyond the media image of the poetry-spouting peacock -- Gast reminds us that Ali didn't follow the path of earlier black superstars or earn his stripes by conforming to white society's expectations.
06/18/02
Top CriticBeyond creating an exceptional documentary, Gast reminds us of the majesty of Muhammad Ali, a man who was, and is, a hero for the ages.
01/01/00
No review available.
06/19/05
No review available.
03/11/03
To think of this marvelous film as merely a boxing documentary is to miss a lot.
01/01/00
You don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy this.... All you need is an appreciation of recent history and a desire to learn more about an event that had far more importance in the world's eyes than any other heavyweight bout in the history of boxing.
01/01/00
Top CriticA piece of history that touches and inspires.
11/07/02
No review available.
10/17/02
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