When We Were Kings

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When We Were Kings

PG

Released Feb 14, 1997

1h 24m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

51 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

On October 30, 1974, perhaps the most famous heavyweight championship boxing match of all time took place in Kinshasa, Zaire: the "Rumble in the Jungle" between champion George Foreman and challenger Muhammad Ali. In historical footage and new interviews, this documentary explores the relationship between African-Americans and the African continent during the Black Power era in terms of both popular culture and international politics, including the brutality of then-dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

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Critics Consensus

An engrossing documentary that's as much about a time and a place as it is about a fight.

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Reece Pendleton

Chicago Reader

Gast does a nice job of building the suspense leading up to the fight, fleshing out the story with some good color commentary...

Rated: 3/4

Jun 15, 2022

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Both a tribute to Ali and an evocation of a bygone era, it's about the transformative moment when black America, flexing its newborn pride, encountered black Africa.

Mar 2, 2018

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: A

Sep 7, 2011

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Graeme Tuckett

The Post NZ

When We Were Kings as not just one of the greatest sports documentaries of all time, but also one of the greatest concert movies.

Dec 29, 2021

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

At the time, it was a given that Foreman was going to slaughter Ali in the ring; the beauty of this movie is that it shows in amazing detail the process through which Ali stepped up to the challenge and succeeded against all expectations.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 27, 2019

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Renee Schonfeld

Common Sense Media

Thrilling boxing docu covers race, politics; some profanity.

Rated: 5/5

Jun 28, 2016

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Stephen C

Real footage in 1 hour and 24 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $2,700,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/07/25

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douglas g

Muhammad Ali is highly overrated… this documentary isnt! It’s amazing! The music is awesome too!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/23/25

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Dallas H

This movie is the kind of sports coverage we take for granted today. It took the filmmakers about twenty years to gather the footage to make the documentary. These days, we have so many video cameras constantly recording content and the convenience of the internet and media distribution. With all that accessible content today, somebody could produce a sports documentary in a few months.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/21/24

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Audience Member

This is a perfect documentary film. A brilliant masterpiece. As a fan of Muhammad Ali, this film was a pleasure to watch over and over and over again. You don’t have to be a fan of Ali, Foreman or boxing to thoroughly enjoy this story of triumph. A true ‘David vs. Goliath’ story that takes place in Africa. The scenes with James Brown & Miles Davis were also beautiful to see. A must see.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/13/24

Full Review

Jay C

This Documentary is the Greatest!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/29/23

Full Review

Chief B

Beautiful!! RIP Muhammad Ali the real life superhero

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/16/23

Full Review

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Leon Gast

Director

Muhammad Ali

Actor

George Foreman

Actor

Don King

Actor

B.B. King

Actor

Mobutu Sese Seko

Actor

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Synopsis

On October 30, 1974, perhaps the most famous heavyweight championship boxing match of all time took place in Kinshasa, Zaire: the "Rumble in the Jungle" between champion George Foreman and challenger Muhammad Ali. In historical footage and new interviews, this documentary explores the relationship between African-Americans and the African continent during the Black Power era in terms of both popular culture and international politics, including the brutality of then-dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

Director: Leon Gast
Producer: Taylor Hackford, Leon Gast
Distributor: Gramercy Pictures, Polygram, Image Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating: PG
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 14, 1997, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 14, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.7M
Runtime: 1h 24m

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