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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,... 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

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for When We Were Kings

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1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
10/18/08
Houston Chronicle

Gast should have known Ali was the best thing he had going for him, but often it seems that the real fight in When We Were Kings is between Gast and his material.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment 2 Comments
01/01/00
Scott Renshaw
Scott Renshaw
rec.arts.movies.reviews

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

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/14/03
Palo Alto Weekly

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

Powerful. Provocative. A "must see."

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

No review available.

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

Anyone who sees it and still thinks that the sport is two guys beating each other up just ain't paying attention.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor
Salon.com

Capturing Ali's legendary charm and enthusiasm, the moment is utterly enchanting. He's stunning here, to-die-for charismatic, terrifically entertaining and confident.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia City Paper | comment Comment
01/01/00
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
Philadelphia City Paper

This is a most rewarding picture, full of delightful anecdotes and even touches of suspense.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
06/05/02
Dale Winogura
Dale Winogura
Boxoffice Magazine

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.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Armstrong
David Armstrong
San Francisco Examiner

One of the best and most emotionally affecting documentaries ever made.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Parkinson
David Parkinson
Empire Magazine

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
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

By the time the fighters enter that ring, the excitement factor is almost uncontrollable.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

By 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.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
06/18/02
Edward Guthmann
Edward Guthmann
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Beyond creating an exceptional documentary, Gast reminds us of the majesty of Muhammad Ali, a man who was, and is, a hero for the ages.

Full Review Source: NUVO Newsweekly | comment Comment
01/01/00
Edward Johnson-Ott
Edward Johnson-Ott
NUVO Newsweekly

No review available.

comment Comment
06/19/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
03/11/03
Enrique Buchichio
Enrique Buchichio
Uruguay Total

To think of this marvelous film as merely a boxing documentary is to miss a lot.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

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.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating)
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