Documentary Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)


When We Were Kings (1996)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 7/21

WhenKings
7/21: I'm kind of curious: who is "we," and since when were they "kings"?

If it's in reference to the boxers, um...okay. If it's the Africans, then that's laughable. Anyway, When We Were Kings relives the famous boxing match that took place in Congo on October 30, 1974: Muhammad Ali versus George Foreman aka "The Rumble in the Jungle."

Over one billion people worldwide, which was 25% of the total population at that time, saw the fight which began at 4 AM, local time, to accommodate the American audience. Using a "rope-a-dope" tactic, Ali was on the ropes much of the time while Foreman hammered away until he got tired and was subsequently knocked out in the 8th round.

Why the match took place in Congo (it was called Zaire back then) is Don King promised $5 million to each fighter, but the boxing association wouldn't let him stage it anywhere in the United States. And the rest was history. Ali was a heavy underdog because he was worn out while Foreman was seven years younger who's much stronger and fresher.

Well, it's a fascinating piece of documentary with rapid editing. Everybody explains clearly the significance of the event. Then, the fight is broken down in terms of what's going on. Of course, Muhammad Ali was larger than life, and I didn't realize George Foreman was intelligent for a boxer. Lots of music (which occurred a month prior to the actual fight because George Foreman sustained a cut on his right eye that had to be healed first before the fight could take place) are played with plenty of African culture in between.

All in all, if you missed "The Rumble in the Jungle," When We Were Kings will make up for it.