The Great White Hype (1996)
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45% of critics liked it
(20 reviews) -
32% of users liked it
(7,674 ratings)
Boxing is more than just a sport -- it's also a business and a con game in this satirical comedy. Rev. Fred Sultan (Samuel L. Jackson) is a shrewd boxing promoter and manager whose meal ticket is heavyweight champion James "The Grim Reaper" Roper (Damon Wayans), a fighter whose skill… More Boxing is more than just a sport -- it's also a business and a con game in this satirical comedy. Rev. Fred Sultan (Samuel L. Jackson) is a shrewd boxing promoter and manager whose meal ticket is heavyweight champion James "The Grim Reaper" Roper (Damon Wayans), a fighter whose skill and confidence significantly outstrips his intelligence. While the top-ranked contender for Roper's title is Marvin Shabazz (Michael Jace), Sultan isn't too keen on the idea of Shabazz fighting Roper -- it seems that both fighters are black, and Sultan's figures show that mixed race matches stir up a lot more media attention and pay-per-view customers. Eager to find a white challenger for Roper, Sultan digs up Terry Conklin (Peter Berg), who won a Golden Gloves fight against Roper many years ago but is now out of the game and fronting a rock band called Massive Head Wound. Thanks to a few bribes and a couple of fixed fights, Sultan is able to arrange for Conklin to be next in line to battle "The Grim Reaper." However, Conklin is taking his renewed career as a boxer quite seriously, while Roper, convinced that Conklin doesn't stand a chance, has let himself go and gained a lot of weight. Suddenly Sultan realizes that Roper might just lose the piece-of-cake fight he's so carefully arranged, while journalist Mitchell Kane (Jeff Goldblum) smells a rat in Conklin's sudden rise to ranking status. Jon Lovitz, Cheech Marin, and Corbin Bernsen highlight the supporting cast, while members of the well-regarded alternative rock band Local H appear as Massive Head Wound. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Reginald Hudlin
- Written By
- Ron Shelton, Tony Hendra
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- In Theaters
- May 3, 1996 Wide
- Studio
- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today
As satire, Hype dares to play the race card but folds too soon.
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Dan Fienberg, Zap2it.com
The joke is often funny and the actors all look like they're having fun, but it's still a one-joke movie that falls short of its potential
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Clint Morris, Moviehole
A knockout comedy...Peter Berg is a trip!
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Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Breezy, biting fun.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
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Cast
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Samuel L. Jackson
as Rev. Fred Sultan
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Jeff Goldblum
as Mitchell Kane
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Peter Berg
as Terry Conklin
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Damon Wayans
as James 'The Grim Reaper' Roper
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Jon Lovitz
as Sol
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Corbin Bernsen
as Peter Prince
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Cheech Marin
as Julio Escobar
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Walter Addison
as Michael Katz
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Brad Blaisdell
as Press Corps #1
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Rocky Carroll
as Artemus St. John Saint
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Lydell M. Cheshier
as Palace Guard #3
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Alyson Croft
as Pretty Young Woman #2
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Deezer D
as Roper's Crony #2
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John Rhys-Davies
as Johnny Windsor
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Duane Davis
as Palace Guard #1
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Art Evans
as Minister
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Michael Fairman
as Chairman Jerry Schwartz
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Jamie Foxx
as Hassan El Ruk'n
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Susan Gibney
as Vivian
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Renee Griffin
as Angel
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Albert Hall
as Roper's Manager
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Randy Harris
as 4th Palace Guard
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Anthony Johnson
as Sultan's Valet
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Jarrett Lennon
as Jarrett Kane
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Stu Nahan
as Fight Announcer #1
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Salli Richardson
as Bambi
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Brian Setzer
as Himself
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Bert Randolph Sugar
as Himself
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Nedra Volz
as Old Lady
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Sam Whipple
as Artie
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Lamont Johnson
as Palace Guard #2
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Rick Scarry
as White Middle American
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James Hardie
as Press Corps #2
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Richard Steele
as Referee
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Michael Jace
as Marvin Shabazz
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Reno Wilson
as Roper's Crony
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Phil Buckman
as Lee the Drummer
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Leon Frederick
as Roper's Cornerman
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Method Man
as Himself
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Al Rodrigo
as 1st press member
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G. John Slagle
as Kane's Cameraman
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Ferdie Pacheco
as fight announcer
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Renee Ammann
as Angel
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Jonathan P. Hicks
as Sports Writer
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Craig Modderno
as Sports Writer
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Tim Kawakami
as Himself
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Elizabeth LaRou
as Pretty Young Woman
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Cristal L. House
as Pretty Young Woman
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Irv L. Dotten
as Roper's Crony
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James H. Hays
as Roper's Cornerman
