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The Power of One

Play trailer Poster for The Power of One PG-13 1992 1h 51m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
35% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
It's the 1930s, and as the people he cares for die or leave his village, young South African P.K. bonds with much older Doc (Armin Mueller-Stahl). A foreigner, Doc is detained when World War II starts, but from his prison cell he encourages P.K. to learn boxing. As he travels to different bouts, the adult P.K. (Stephen Dorff) forges relationships that anger the state's apartheid government -- but his reunion with his onetime schoolyard nemesis (Daniel Craig) may offer his biggest challenge yet.
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The Power of One

Critics Reviews

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Variety Staff Variety 05/20/2008
Beautifully produced and gorgeously shot on location in Zimbabwe by lenser Dean Semler, picture has depth, dimension and first-rate casting. Go to Full Review Derek Adams Time Out 02/09/2006
Avildsen draws good performances from the three actors who play PK, as well as from the ever-reliable Freeman and Mller-Stahl, but subtlety is abandoned when he focuses on the ring and teen romance. Go to Full Review Janet Maslin New York Times 08/30/2004
1.5/5
The film's facile treatment of racial issues may be enough to bring back the practice of throwing tomatoes at the screen. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 06/30/2005
2/5
Daniel M. Kimmel Worcester Telegram & Gazette 07/08/2004
3/5
Randy Shulman Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) 01/29/2004
4/5
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Audience Reviews

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Joel H @786Joel Jun 23 I’m not quite sure how, in a year where Aladdin, Home Alone 2, Batman Returns, and Wayne’s World came out, The Power of One made it into my regular movie-viewing rotation, but I do know that I watched this multiple times. And I also know that this movie is one of the main reasons I had a hard time accepting Daniel Craig as James Bond. It’s a powerful drama that gives you a small glimpse of what was happening during World War II in another part of the world. Morgan Freeman is solid, as per usual, and the rest of the actors do a good job, too. I’m surprised The Power of One was a box office bomb. See more JT J @Thatthing Mar 29 Absolutely amazing coming of age story. Inspired me to start boxing. See more thiago s @Thiagostone 07/12/2025 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Scott W @RT57361544 07/09/2025 Butchery of a Great novel, and Courtenay was apparently involved. See more J N @RT88134703 06/10/2025 For an early 90s film, it has its flaws here and there, but overall its quality storytelling with decent acting. See more Dylan C @RT58173672 11/04/2024 great movie, would highly recommend See more Read all reviews
The Power of One

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Cast & Crew

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John G. Avildsen

Director

Stephen Dorff

P.K. Age 18

Armin Mueller-Stahl

Doc

Morgan Freeman

Geel Piet

John Gielgud

St. John

Maria Marais

Actor

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The Power of One

The Power of One (1992) The Power of One (1992) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis It's the 1930s, and as the people he cares for die or leave his village, young South African P.K. bonds with much older Doc (Armin Mueller-Stahl). A foreigner, Doc is detained when World War II starts, but from his prison cell he encourages P.K. to learn boxing. As he travels to different bouts, the adult P.K. (Stephen Dorff) forges relationships that anger the state's apartheid government -- but his reunion with his onetime schoolyard nemesis (Daniel Craig) may offer his biggest challenge yet.
Director
John G. Avildsen
Producer
Arnon Milchan
Screenwriter
Robert Mark Kamen
Production Co
New Regency Productions, Canal+, Village Roadshow Pictures, Alcor Films
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 27, 1992, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.7M
Runtime
1h 51m
Sound Mix
Surround
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