When We Were Kings (1996) | Flick

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When We Were Kings backdrop

1996·Documentary·1h 29m

8.2

★

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.

Directed by Leon Gast

africa

boxer

black magic

world champion

zaire

psychic power

sympathy

endurance

sports documentary

power of love

heavyweight champion

boxing

racist stereotype

heavyweight boxer

power of the people

semi-biographical

boxing champion

soul music

african music

anti-racism

african dictator

black power

music concert

sports icon

boxing match

muhammad ali

power of positive thinking

Trailer

IMDB

N/A

Letterboxd

4.1 / 5

Where to Watch

Cast

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali

Self

George Foreman

George Foreman

Self

Don King

Don King

Self

James Brown

James Brown

Self

B.B. King

B.B. King

Self

Spike Lee

Spike Lee

Self

Norman Mailer

Norman Mailer

Self

George Plimpton

George Plimpton

Self

Malick Bowens

Malick Bowens

Self

Miriam Makeba

Miriam Makeba

Self

Drew Bundini Brown

Drew Bundini Brown

Self

Howard Cosell

Howard Cosell

Self

Crew

Taylor Hackford

Taylor Hackford

Editor

Maryse Alberti

Maryse Alberti

Director of Photography

Albert Maysles

Albert Maysles

Director of Photography

Taylor Hackford

Taylor Hackford

Producer

Popular Reviews

77 reviews

Richard McDivenPRO

When We Were Kings

“I'm experienced now, professional. Jaws been broke, been knocked down a couple of times, I'm bad! Been chopping trees. I done something new for this fight. I done wrestled with an alligator. That's right. I have wrestled with an alligator. I done tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail. That's bad! Only last week I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalised a brick! I'm so mean I make medicine sick!”

“I'm experienced now, professional. Jaws been broke, been knocked down a couple of times, I'm bad! Been chopping trees. I done something new for this fight. I done wrestled with an alligator. That's right. I have wrestled with an alligator. I done tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail. That's bad! Only last week I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalised a brick! I'm so mean I make medicine sick!”

1

Glockie3k

When We Were Kings

Muhammad Ali the greatest talker of all time could genuinely convince me to run into a brick wall head first while blindfolded
Rest in peace to both and shoutout to George Foreman as well that grill went triple platinum in my house when I was a kid

Muhammad Ali the greatest talker of all time could genuinely convince me to run into a brick wall head first while blindfolded
Rest in peace to both and shoutout to George Foreman as well that grill went triple platinum in my house when I was a kid

MateoPRO

When We Were Kings

There’s not really a celeb that’s as simultaneously entertaining and very aware as Ali was.

There’s not really a celeb that’s as simultaneously entertaining and very aware as Ali was.

Sam Bam

7.0★ · 12/06/25

When We Were Kings

How Great I am! Great I am great I am!!….

How Great I am! Great I am great I am!!….

Jace Fye

9.0★ · 10/21/25

When We Were Kings

Sports documentaries are so fucking awesome.
It makes you realize how cool anybody’s interests can be when told by the right storyteller.
I’m not a big fan of boxing, never have been. A little confusing to me how scoring in it works. But, I of course know of Muhammad Ali. He’s a titan of human history. The slideshow at the end showed that exact thing.
And it’s so awesome how people like him, and others that are masters at their field can be so confident when the odds are against him.
Loved getting to hear about the fight, and all of the troubles that came with making it happen.
Loved the interchanging of the story of the fight, and getting to watch the performances from the festival.
Just loved it all, if anything I wanted more!

Sports documentaries are so fucking awesome.
It makes you realize how cool anybody’s interests can be when told by the right storyteller.
I’m not a big fan of boxing, never have been. A little confusing to me how scoring in it works. But, I of course know of Muhammad Ali. He’s a titan of human history. The slideshow at the end showed that exact thing.
And it’s so awesome how people like him, and others that are masters at their field can be so confident when the odds are against him.
Loved getting to hear about the fight, and all of the troubles that came with making it happen.
Loved the interchanging of the story of the fight, and getting to watch the performances from the festival.
Just loved it all, if anything I wanted more!

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When We Were Kings (1996) | Flick