When We Were Kings (1996)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Daniel P

  
  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… More
  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.

• Stella D

  
  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

• Saskia D

  
  Great documentary about a legendary fight between Ali and Foreman in Zaire in 1947. Ali is charismatic, articulate, funny and one hell of a character. Great soundtrack: James Brown rules :) <div style="width:640px;"><a… More
  Great documentary about a legendary fight between Ali and Foreman in Zaire in 1947. Ali is charismatic, articulate, funny and one hell of a character. Great soundtrack: James Brown rules :) <div style="width:640px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/servlet/embed/photo/link/11251924"><img src="http://www.flixster.com/servlet/embed/photo/11251924.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com">

• El Hombre I

  
  Telling the story of the 1974 heavyweight title fight in Zaire between challenger Muhammad Ali and champion George Foreman, the legendary "Rumble in the Jungle," the film is way beyond the quality and substance of other boxing documentaries. Then again, it is not really… More
  Telling the story of the 1974 heavyweight title fight in Zaire between challenger Muhammad Ali and champion George Foreman, the legendary "Rumble in the Jungle," the film is way beyond the quality and substance of other boxing documentaries. Then again, it is not really about boxing. At its core, it tells one of the oldest stories, that the power of the mind works its' will upon oneself and upon others, and how to use and overcome fear. Along the way, it touches on race, music, capitalism, dictatorship, voodoo and spectacle. It's a thrilling documentary. Included in the drama of a heavyweight title fight is also footage of a planned music festival that played out in Kinshasa before the "Rumble In The Jungle", starring James Brown, B.B. King, and a host of other top African American acts at the time. To say that their performances are electrifying may seem a bit cliche, but there's really no other word for it. Those unfamiliar with the Ali legacy, other than surface material and a movie starring Will Smith, would do well to start with this very personal look at times and events represented by a boxing match between Ali and George Foreman that was made possible by two other men with sheer forces of will including differing levels of sadism in them, promoter Don King and the dictator of Zaire, Mobutu Sese Suko. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=WhenWeWereKings.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/WhenWeWereKings.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• Michael S

  
  One of the best documentaries ever made.

• Aaron N

  
  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.… More
  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!

• Michael G

  
  A really great documentary.

• Christopher B

  
  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… More
  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.

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