When We Were Kings

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When We Were Kings

PG

1997

1h 27m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

50 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

Jun 15, 2022

3/4

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

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Mar 2, 2018

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.

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Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

Aug 4, 2008

If anyone deserves an award, it is Ali; his charisma makes the film.

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Graeme Tuckett

The Post NZ

Dec 29, 2021

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

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Oct 27, 2019

3.5/4

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.

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Renee Schonfeld

Common Sense Media

Jun 28, 2016

5/5

Thrilling boxing docu covers race, politics; some profanity.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 7, 2025

Real footage in 1 hour, 27 minutes, and 15 seconds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $2,700,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All ages admitted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In memory of George Foreman and Muhammad Ali!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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douglas g

@RT70116451 Mar 23, 2025

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

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Dallas H

@RT53171010 Dec 21, 2024

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.

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May 13, 2024

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.

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Chief B

@RT53266745 May 16, 2023

Beautiful!! RIP Muhammad Ali the real life superhero

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Diane B

@BklynWriter Aug 13, 2022

What a wit! So fit! When I was a little kid, I remember two times my dad called us to gather on the couch in front of the TV. One was for Elvis in Hawaii. The other was for the Ali-Foreman bout. The price Ali paid to stand by his beliefs. The incredible drive and charisma and curiosity and wisdom. It all comes through here ... and the Foreman you see in this film bears no resemblance to the cheerful guy hawking grills in K-mart. He looks like he wants to murder Ali through the film.

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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
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 27m

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