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Poster for When We Were Kings

When We Were Kings

1996 · 89 min

A buoyant, music-soaked time capsule that builds toward one legendary fight with charisma and political bite.

Tagline
The untold story of the Rumble in the Jungle.
Overview
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.

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • warmstrength 2 of 3
  • upliftingstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • race
  • power
  • sport
  • identity
  • justice
Places
  • big city
  • countryside
Era
period
Audience
teen
Form
  • true story
  • documentary
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror0
Humour5
Realism9
Romance1
Tension5
Darkness3
Complexity4
Emotional weight6

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Where to watch in the UK

Stream
  • Now TV Cinema

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
documentary
Directed by
Leon Gast
Written by
Leon Gast
Starring
Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King, James Brown, B.B. King, Spike Lee, Mobutu Sese Seko, Norman Mailer
Cinematography
Kevin Keating, Paul Goldsmith
Runtime
89 min
Country
United States of America, Congo
Languages
English, French

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