When We Were Kings
On a finer note, I adored this movie. This is the
documentary that took 20 years to get finished, but it was
worth the wait. The topic is the "Rumble in the Jungle"
fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Africa in
1974. Focusing primarily on Ali, it weaves the tale with
humor, respect, and surprisingly, suspense.
I love documentaries anyway -- no matter what they're about
-- but this is a great film. To be honest, I didn't know
much about Muhammad Ali past the "floating like a butterfly
and stinging like a bee" quote. I didn't know how political
he was. Or how funny, sincere, and stoic. I know I'm
gushing, but I had no idea how great this man is. It's like
I just discovered him.
Along with powerful fight scenes (not too gory, even for
me), you getta see kick-ass performances by B.B. King and
James Brown, plus quips from George Plimpton, Norman Mailer,
and Spike Lee. Real insightful stuff on the fight, the time,
and Ali. It's hilarious to see George Foreman in his
seventies get-ups, and amazing to realize that's George Foreman, the guy with five kids all named George. I didn't
realize it until about 30 minutes into the film, and my mom
never got it. I told her afterwards. She couldn't believe
it.
If you can find it, rent it. It's so worth it.
Back to Reviews.
Write to me.
|