When We Were Kings [DVD]

I remember this, when no one (except me and a few others) gave him a chance against George Foreman, but Ali once again, just like against Sonny Liston proved them wrong.

This film was well worth the long (almost twenty year) delay. A great documentary on "The Rumble in the Jungle" which marked the return of Muhammad Ali to the top of the boxing world. While this bout was not as great (according to boxing afficionados) as the epic "Thrilla in Manila" against Joe Frazier, it does go down as one of The Champ's greatest victories. Few gave him a shot at beating the supposedly indestructible George Foreman (who had destroyed Frazier twice before this fight). George Forman has had a fascinating turnabout. Few people remember him as the smiling, gentle giant that he has transformed himself into. Back then, he would have scared Tyson, as the rogue-ish evil and almost vicious bad man he was. However, as a friend of mine said after this screening, a good A.W. will often do that for a man.Don King did put on a happening, and much of it is captured in this great documentary. The fight was preceded by a number of other events, including musicians (like James Brown, B.B. King and the Spinners), dancers and celebs. Much of that was captured here.Much of the dialogue was provided by dueling journalists Norman Mailer and George Plimpton, each trying to outdo one another on the import of the fight. I agree with another reviewer, it would have been great to hear from Ferdie Pacheco and Angelo Dundee, the men in Ali's corner.During this time, Ali was called the most recognizable man in the World. I sure would not have bet against that. This film captures much of the character which made him a great figure, as well as a great boxer.

Truly an excellent documentary, this film captures the incredible boxing confrontation between Muhammad Ali and George Forman on October 30, 1974 in Zaire for the heavyweight championship of the world. Part of what made this film great is the overwhelming odds for George to win and the courage of Ali facing seemingly impossible chances as he worked on his hand speed, endurance, poetry, and plotting his strategy. There is little doubt Ali came into the ring with a secret plan, The film captures the shock that swept through the commentators when George went to the canvas. The film creates a good overview of the country of Zaire and it's people. The film reveals the great music of the event, including the heart retching song for which the movie was named. My only regret is director Leon Gast chose to cutout portions of the fight rather than showing to whole thing. If the whole fight were shown, it would reveal how the tide turned to Ali in the fight, showing how George tired as he flailed away against a hard to hit opponent, perhaps the greatest defensive fighter of all time. Congratulations to all who worked on this film.

This fight was one of the first distinct memories of my childhood. The damn thing took forever to come on TV (my father and his friends had gotten it on closed circuit in Germany) and I fell asleep at least once waiting for the fighters to finally make it into the ring. I was too young to understand everything that went on in the leadup to the "event" (and that's what it was) and I was absolutely delighted to learn that this film was going to be released so I could catch up.And it is a truly great film. It is a great film because it documents a great time in American and African history and because the things it documents are inherently dramatic and exciting. That said, this is also a terrific film from a filmmaking point of view; wonderful camera work, in your face documenting, and intelligent editing. It's not as "artsy" as Leni Riefenstahl's classic documentation of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but that event had a totally different cultural and historical context.As a sport film, this movie is also important because it documents one of the greatest fights of all time; Ali correctly noted after the fight that his rope-a-dope strategy would go down in the annals of boxing.All in all a wonderfully entertaining, informative, and inspiring way to spend about 90 minutes of your time.

This is easily my favourite documentary of all time, chronicling the the build up to the legendary 'Rumble in the Jungle.' Muhammad Ali's attempt to win back the heavyweight title from the KO artist George Foreman, in Zaire.Ali is at the peak of his powers here. This is the funny, boastful, charming Ali we enjoy watching. He loved the cameras, and they loved him. His soundbites and witticisms are gold. Also, his remarkable intelligence and fierce pride is evident, like when he observes that a plane with an all black crew is something you would never see in the US. Arriving in Zaire, he wins the Africans over with astonishing ease. I mean, EVERYONE loves him.Still, it's one thing to win over a country - it's another to win against Foreman! This is not the George we know and love today, but a surly, taciturn giant. While he cannot compete with Ali popularity-wise, a lot of people favour him to win this fight. And quite honestly, watching him pound a heavy bag until he leaves a dent in it, can you blame them? Even though Ali points out that he's knocked out heavy hitters (like Sonny Liston) before, shocking the world, most don't fancy his chances.The fight itself is a thrilling, epic affair. If only I'd been alive to see it! Ali, perhaps wisely, doesn't go toe to toe with Foreman. Nor does he dance, as had been expected. Instead he uses his speed, reflexes and fabulous boxing brain effectively, pulling some clever tricks out of the bag, like right hand leads and of course, the rope-a-dope. Plus, he shows just tough he is. Even thought Foreman does occasionally hit him with some tasty shots, Ali merely shrugs them off and taunts George for not hitting hard enough! How do you deal with someone like that? Foreman had no answer, except to keep slugging away to the point of exhaustion. And... well we all know what happened then.By the way, the music is great, too. We get to see the likes of James Brown, B.B. King and The Spinners in their prime, and that's a great privilege. When I heard that Ali passed away, I had to put this on, and I won't deny I got a bit emotional. I have watched this many times, and will watch it many more.

A fascinating document of a great moment in sporting and cultural history, When We Were Kings received an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Muhammad Ali at 32 was considered past his prime for the Zaire fight, and the menace of George Foreman who earlier destroyed both Joe Frazier and Ken Norton in the ring, arrive in the African state as overwhelming favourite only to be outwit by Ali in what became known as the "Rumble in the Jungle". But here, Ali displays strength, skill, intelligence, and charm was able to use the now-famous "Rope-a-Dope" tactic to pull off what is probably boxing's greatest upset. Also featured were Don King, President Mobuto Sese Seko, James Brown, Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, Spike Lee, BB King, Miriam Makeba and Director Leon Gast. When We Were Kings chronicles the meeting of these two titans. Makes this DVD an absolute gem to have.

Totally overrated doc.

This film is marvellous, a mixture of great fight footage, fascinating insights from luminaries such as Norman Mailer who were ringside on the night, short clips which really capture the personality of Ali, plus great concert footage from some of the top soul/blues artists who performed at the music festival which was held at the same time as the fight.Rightly lauded as one of the best documentary films ever made.

I bought this DVD having seen a small part of the film & having seen the original fight on TV in 1974. The film is about much more than just a fight though. It shows how Ali and Foreman adapt to their time in Zaire Ali a consumate showman but also a real driving force for black civil rights across the USA and linking into Africa. Foreman is more reserved and as a result the people of Zaire warm to Ali rather than Foreman. The dialogue from Norman Mailher in particular is incredibly inciteful and very entertaining. The cut of the film is a little shorter than the fuller film version I remember but an excellent film that marries an African dictatorship, civil rights & a boxing match in 1. Ali comes out as a hugely likeable character, a very good film