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76% Critic Match
When We Were Kings
“The untold story of the Rumble in the Jungle.”
7.6 / 10• 1996• 1h 29m•PG• English
Documentary
Storyline
It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a willing backer in Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire, and the "Rumble in the Jungle" is set, including a musical festival featuring some of America's top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King.
Cast & Crew
Muhammad Ali
Self
Lead
George Foreman
Self
Don King
Self
James Brown
Self
B.B. King
Self
Spike Lee
Self
Mobutu Sese Seko
Self
Norman Mailer
Self
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Leon Gast's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. When We Were Kings is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
