Incannerax What a waste of my time!!!

Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Helllins It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Michael_Elliott When We Were Kings (1996) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Extremely entertaining, Oscar-winning documentary covering the 1974 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, which became known as the Rumble in the Jungle. Through interview footage as well as archival footage, director Leon Gast's film perfectly documents the historic match and everything leading up to it. The boxing match itself is legendary and something most people know about and it's perfectly shown here but I think the real key to the documentary is everything we're shown leading up to the fight. This, of course, includes a lot of stuff dealing with Ali trash talking and getting involved with the African people. There are several scenes where Ali is simply out in the streets working out and trying to pump up the African people and of course get them in his corner. By contrast, we then see interview segments with Foreman where he's obviously not as deeply in with the people and doesn't have the same connection that Ali does. One really gets a great idea of the political climate heading up to the fight and the stuff with Ali training and just being himself are truly priceless. It's also fun hearing about how his career was thought to have been on the low-end as everyone was thinking that Foreman would destroy and possibly kill him in the ring. When we finally get to the fight footage it's presented in such a way that you really see what Ali was going for and how he pulled the upset. We see some terrific footage that is broken down and we're shown every little point that helped get Ali the win. WHEN WE WERE KINGS shows a historic fight and the surroundings around it and you can't help but be thankful that such an important event was captured in such a great form.

Storms This film should be made mandatory watching for all school children. Historically it covers the greatest sporting event of all time and at the same time chronicles the amazing man himself. The Champ is not just articulate and charismatic... he touched the hearts of all the oppressed people of the time. He was a poor mans champion... a ghetto superstar.I wasn't alive at the time, but the film portrays brilliantly what an underdog Ali was and how everyone half expected Foreman to kill him. Then it shows how Ali very cleverly outwitted his opponent. Psychologically Ali was a heavyweight and Foreman a lightweight. With heart and determination he overcame the colossus that was Foreman.Watching Foreman in this documentary and his awesome power... I don't believe any boxer since has had the punching power of this man. For god sake he came back at 45 and won the title! Imagine what he was like at 20. The Rumble in the Jungle destroyed Foreman... and propelled Ali onto a bigger stage. It was held in Zaire, rebels were fighting, the dictator Mobutu, Don King in his prime, James Brown, the succubus, the witch doctors, Boom-aye, Ali, Foreman... The world must have shaken that night. This documentary makes the hairs on the back of neck stand up... imagine what it must have been like to be alive at that time.

protek22 'When We Were Kings', is one of those rare cinematic treats, that occurs when a good filmmaker latches on to an epic tale in the making. Just about everyone at the time, expected Foreman to demolish Ali, as he had done to both, Joe Frazier and Ken Norton. To many, Ali was washed up, and just asking for the whipping of his life! George Foreman up until then, had proved to be such a consummate destroyer of quality heavyweights, the dread of Ali's impending defeat, was noticeable in the commentary of both George Plimpton, and Norman Mailer. This enhanced the drama and foreboding, of this classic struggle, romantically set in the Central African nation of Zaire. Epic tales of course require epic figures, and through it all, Ali commands center stage. We see him at the height of his powers, charming, witty, and above all, revealing the immense champion's heart, that made him "The Greatest"! 'When We Were Kings' beautifully captures the epic boxing story, known as the 'Rumble in the Jungle'!

Lee Eisenberg Probably what makes "When We Were Kings" especially effective is the opening: Muhammad Ali, explaining his plan to participate in a boxing match in Zaire, declares "Africa is the home of the black man." I had actually never heard of the Rumble in the Jungle before this documentary came out, but one need only watch it to see just how great Ali was (and always will be). As for the possibility that it meanders too much with the interviews, I say that it's good to get different people's insights into what an important part of our national heritage Ali is.So anyway, this is a documentary that I wholeheartedly recommend. Also featuring George Foreman (happy birthday, George!), James Brown (RIP), Spike Lee, B.B. King and Mobutu Sese Seko in footage.