When We Were Kings Reviews

"Muhammad Ali, he was like a sleeping elephant. You can do whatever you want around a sleeping elephant; whatever you want. But when he wakes up, he tramples everything."

A documentary of the 1974 heavyweight championship bout in Zaire between champion George Foreman and underdog challenger Muhammad Ali.

REVIEW
The story of Muhammed Ali and the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" is the stuff of legend; the world's best boxer becomes a hate figure for middle America and is banned for political reasons; he returns but has lost his edge; he gets a last shot at the world title in a fight to be held in Zaire, whose kleptomaniac dictator is willing to put up his people's cash to pay for it; and against all the odds, he astonishingly beats the superior puncher George Foreman through a combination of wit and bravery. Ali was beautiful and clever as well as violent; his "art" destroyed him, but it's easy to tell his story as a kind of noble myth. Which is exactly what 'When We Were Kings', a documentary that relies relatively little on talking heads (because the whole drama was a kind of performance, and filmed) does. The film even gets its soundtrack for free thanks to the musicians brought in to publicise the fight. When We Were Kings shows a historic fight and the surroundings around it and you can't help but be thankful that such an important event was captured in such a great form.

Not exactly the movie I thought it would be: it's much more about the spectacle of the Rumble in the Jungle than it is about the boxing. Still a solid documentary, though, and one that puts its finger on what the rise and redemption of Muhammad Ali truly meant to American (counter?) culture, and that culture's place in the world.

a terrific documentary about the famous 'rumble in the jungle' ali/foreman fight in zaire, 1974, with everyone from norman mailer to james brown along for the ride. a milestone in boxing and black history

One of the best documentaries ever made.

Muhammad Ali: Bad, fast! Fast! Fast! Last night I cut the light off in my bedroom, hit the switch and was in the bed before the room was dark.

A well made documentary about Muhammad Ali, focusing mainly on the Rumble in the Jungle, the fight of Ali against George Foreman in Zaire.

Although I would have liked to see a documentary encompassing Ali's life as a whole, including his early time as a boxer, when he was still Cassius Clay and his relationship with Malcolm X and other earlier parts of his career.

Still, this isn't about that, this is about Ali's huge ego, how he talks, what happens for these two fighters as they make their way to Africa, what goes on there, the fight itself and the aftermath.

It also helps that we are shown a lot of footage of Ali just talking. He is such a fun character to watch.

We are also treated to a great soundtrack, featuring live performances from James Brown in Africa, as well as other good soul, rock, and African music.

The interviews are interesting, taking place during and around the actual fight. We see a lot of coverage of many of the aspects in Africa.

Well done feature that covers a lot of info concerning a particular time.

Muhammad Ali: I done something new for this fight! I done rassled with a alligator! That's right, I have rassled with a alligator. I done tussled with a whale! I done handcuffed lightning, throwed thunder in jail! That's *bad*. Only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. I'm so mean, I make medicine sick!

A really great documentary.

So many characters stuck in the middle of Zaire for a delayed championship fight and a music festival that was intended to bridge the gap between black America and Africa. Throw in charismatic figures like Muhammad Ali and James Brown into the mix and you have a chaotic but beautiful tale of famous people in an unfamiliar place. The delay of the fight on seeks to enhance what you have on the screen here.

I don't like boxing at all, not even a little, yet I found this doc completely engrossing and I still remember the Ali/Foreman fight as one of the greatest sports moments ever, however if I'd never seen this I wouldn't have cared less about it. Also, I like run on sentences.

Excellent documentary that captured the essence of Muhammad Ali at his finest! All documentaries (especially sports documentaries) should strive for the level of excellence set by Leon Gast. This film showcased the popularity of Ali throughout the world and how Ali captivated audiences with his skill and charisma. I almost felt bad for George Foreman but Ali cemented his legend by taking down the unstoppable Foreman with the "rope a dope." Usually sports documentaries lean toward the sappy side but When We Were Kings did not at all. It captured the essence of Ali, Zaire, and the people who just wanted to be near Ali's presence. Wonderful film and a must see for all boxing fans.

Documentary showing the "Greatest" against an almost unstoppable George Foreman (who i think could`ve beaten Iron Mike in his prime-Forman i mean) and the many characters that accompanied Ali on his Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire,Africa. Afight that made Ali a bigger Legend in his boxing career.

This didn't even need to be about The Rumble in the Jungle. 90 minutes of just documenting Ali's charisma would have gotten four stars.

this is the best sports documentary ever made. Muhammad ali gears up to fight George formen in the Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire, although the fight was delayed for 6 weeks you get to see Muhammad ali in his rawist form embracing africa havin fun and rhymmin. this is really good movie a must have

Witness a champion of life battle everything for one more shot at being the greatest; which he truly is.

Ali was the greatest character of the 20th Century. A great man and a great film. The best documentary ever.

Transcends sports cinema. Filmmakers reveal what it takes to be the greatest heavyweight of all-time, through lessons in history, culture and world politics.

No one has ever commanded an audience like Ali the Man, watching this, you'll know why he is The Greatest!!

My personal interest is in Muhammed Ali so this movie/documentary covered it all in the story surrounding one fight and one time in particular in this Worldwide ICON'S life.

Not just a straightforward documentary of a boxing match: It's a multi-faceted snapshot of the various cultural aspects of the famous fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. See it.