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.
Comment
01/01/00
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
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 CriticThis is the real deal.
12/06/05
This is a great documentary film and a must for fans of the sport and Ali.
04/09/05
If anyone deserves an award, it is Ali; his charisma makes the film.
08/04/08
Top CriticThere is a palpable tension, as the two men step into the ring, that is not lessened because we know the outcome.
01/01/00
Top CriticI pick it to win the Oscar for best documentary feature.
06/25/04
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
To think of this marvelous film as merely a boxing documentary is to miss a lot.
01/01/00
When Muhammad Ali achieved victory in Kinshasa on Oct. 30, 1974, he did far more than win a prize fight.
05/20/03
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 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.
03/26/07
Top CriticA film as deserving of respect as its subjects.
08/04/08
A good example of able filmmakers staying out of the way of a very interesting subject.
01/01/00
Enormously entertaining.
03/26/07
Top CriticWhen We Were Kings has given us a joyous, poignant portrait of a man and a time steeped in pride, soul and high hopes.
10/15/02
Gast never makes a mistake by turning the camera on Ali—he comes through like a champ every time.
01/27/02
One of the best and most emotionally affecting documentaries ever made.
01/01/00
Latest News for When We Were Kings
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