When We Were Kings (1996)
An unforgettable account of the "Rumble in the Jungle," this Oscar-winning film captures all the magic of Muhammad Ali at the peak of his triumphant career. (Universal)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Leon Gast
Starring: Spike Lee, Norman Mailer, Muhammad Ali, George Plimpton, B.B. King, James Brown, George Foreman, Don King
Genres: Documentary, Sport
Country: USA
Where to Stream
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When We Were Kings belongs to 29 collections
1. Criterion Collection (collaborative: moderated by caffe - 167 stars)
2. boobs (collaborative: moderated by Pickpocket - 51 stars)
3. The Guardian's 1000 films to see before you die (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 30 stars)
4. AAA: Empire's five star movies (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 24 stars)
5. Best of criticker: Documentary (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 20 stars)
6. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)
7. Doubling The Canon (collaborative - 13 stars)
8. Africa (collaborative: moderated by td888 - 8 stars)
9. Oscar Winner: Best Documentary, Feature (collaborative: moderated by sengir - 7 stars)
10. List: Taschen (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 6 stars)
11. Best by different standards (public: sesito71 - 6 stars)
12. Sport (collaborative: moderated by td888 - 5 stars)
13. Doubling The Canon (2010 update) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 5 stars)
14. 500 essential cult films (not seen) (public: cayh - 5 stars)
15. Boxing (collaborative: moderated by Moribunny - 4 stars)
16. Criterion Collection (Blu-ray and 4K) (public: PepeCamello - 3 stars)
17. Time Out's 50 Best Documentaries of All Time (collaborative: moderated by theficionado - 1 star)
18. Doubling the Canon (2011 update) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 1 star)
19. Doubling the Canon (2012 update) (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 1 star)
20. Sports Documentaries (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx - 1 star)
21. toucé (public: rnest - 1 star)
22. TSPDT 2016 new additions (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr)
23. Djross seen at the cinema (public: djross)
24. Djross 1996 top ten (public: djross)
25. Movies to See: Documentaries (public: Lord Moe)
26. Films I saw in the cinema (public: Malcym)
27. watchlist (public: babuba)
28. Edgar Wright's 1000 Favorite Movies (public: coldesser)
29. Films Dunstan Owns (public: Dunstan-xxx)
Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 2 |  |
KasperL | 55 39th |
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Decent, but overpraised. It does not help the film that Ali comes off as a somewhat tiresome blowhard so that I couldn't help rooting for Foreman who we don't get to know very well.
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| 2 |  |
nauru | 95 99th |
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One of the best documentaries I've ever seen. Way better than the Will Smith movie, and does a nice job of capturing the political gravity of the Rumble in the Jungle without over-exaggeration or cheesy music.
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| 2 | thefriedone | 100 95th |
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One of the greatest documentaries I've ever seen. Captures an amazing combination of Ali and Foreman's personalities, racial tension in the US, and African politics in the 1970s. The run time was absolutely perfect as well. A lesser director would have spent 5 hours on this subject, yet instead the selected 84 minutes presented here are absolutely perfect.
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| 2 |  |
krf7 | 95 97th |
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The documentary isn't perfect, but what makes this one of the best ever made is the merging of the images and the sportswriters giving commentary during the fight scene. Their language is so evocative and perfect that it's almost like reading a book at times, with the moving picture being a bonus.
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| 1 |  |
doctor7 | 81 74th |
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Very good documentary that's only real flaw is a montage of photos set to some of the most generic and awful music I have ever heard. Everything aside from that is informative and entertaining. It really captures Ali's charm and personality.
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| 1 |  |
ServantDagon | 96 94th |
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A very fascinating documentary about a very fascinating man.
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| 1 | djfntstque | 90 95th |
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Maybe the best documentary of the last 10 years.
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| 1 | Paj | 95 95th |
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The best sports documentary ever on a celebrity athlete. It's such a moving piece and about so much more than just boxing.
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| 1 |  |
CinematicESP | 94 94th |
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Truly epic. I've never felt so moved by a sporting event, mainly because it does so well at bringing Ali to life and making you love him.
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| 1 |  |
Tripwyre | 86 87th |
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A fantastic documentary that captures the larger-than-life personality of Muhammed Ali far better than the Will Smith bio-pic. This is the man himself, in his element, running his mouth the way only Ali could. It is a portrait of a fierce competitor, a clever wordsmith and one of the most fascinating characters the world has ever known. We would be lucky to have more athletes like Ali, and if you weren't alive to see him back in the day, this movie is Can't Miss. Excellent.
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moraesfelipe | 80 85th |
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Truly one of the most engaging sports films of all time, in which Ali talking (and Foreman reacting) build such a powerful account on race, media circus and 70s America. When the greatest athlete opens his mouth, it's a sure thing that everyone around will be thrilled, entertained and provoked. Also, Mailer and Plimpton contribute with in-depth stories about Ali's charismatic, lovely and unique persona.
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| 1 |  |
heapshake | 95 98th |
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That song at the end really kills the mood.
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| Average Percentile 71.66% from 714 Ratings |  |