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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
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Reviews for When We Were Kings
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.
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.
A penetrating emotional analysis of the boxing which is nothing short of inspired.
Anyone who sees it and still thinks that the sport is two guys beating each other up just ain't paying attention.
Capturing Ali's legendary charm and enthusiasm, the moment is utterly enchanting. He's stunning here, to-die-for charismatic, terrifically entertaining and confident.
This is a most rewarding picture, full of delightful anecdotes and even touches of suspense.
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.
One of the best and most emotionally affecting documentaries ever made.
Wonderful sports documentary covering the 1974 heavyweight championship fight in Zaire.
By the time the fighters enter that ring, the excitement factor is almost uncontrollable.
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.
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.
To think of this marvelous film as merely a boxing documentary is to miss a lot.
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.
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