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When We Were Kings

Summary: Boxing documentary on the 1974 world heavyweight championship bout between defending champion, George Foreman, and the underdog challenger, Muhammad Ali.
Release Date: February 14, 1997
Runtime: 1 h 28 min
MPAA: PG

Country: United States
Language: English
Domestic: $ 2,789,985

Box office:

Domestic:$2.8MWorldwide:$2.8M

Possible Big Business:

Production:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment

-4%
98%94%

83/10081/100
11%59%
Black47.06%White29.41%Jewish11.76%Mixed / Other11.76%
1.00

Possibly woke elements:

prejudice,racism

Commonsensemedia

Message4/5
Role model4/5
Violence3/5
Sex2/5
Language3/5

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Cast
Representation
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Parental Guide

Parental Guide: +add

This film gets a 1/5 family friendly score

MPAA CertificationNo MPAA rating found yet. Add Family Friendly Rating?

IMDb Rating

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118147/parentalguide

last updated: 2024-10-26Update data

Commonsensemedia Rating

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/when-we-were-kings

last updated: 2024-10-26Update data

Message
4/5

Values promoted include courage, perseverance, integrity, living up to one's potential, and defiance in the face of abuse and prejudice. Underlying message is that people of color are deserving of respect, must fight for individual liberty, and must not acquiesce to racism and intolerance. Ali delivers some easy messages aimed at kids: "Live a clean life. Stay off of dope. Don't eat so much candy!"

Role model
4/5

Brash, loud, and fearless (as well as offensive to some in 1974), Muhammad Ali is also commanding, funny, spontaneous, and an iconic spokesperson for people of color. His African-American pride and his devotion to his religion (the Nation of Islam) spoke volumes to the world. In this film, he is the essence of the 1970s "Black is beautiful" sensibility, which terrified some and exalted others.

Violence
3/5

Extensive boxing footage: hard blows, knock-downs, a bloody eye injury, ferocious pummeling. Brief newsreel accounts of cruelty to Africans and African-Americans. A typhoid shot is administered on camera.

Sex
2/5

Sensual dance performances in revealing costumes; one brief glimpse of bare breasts.

Language
3/5

"Holy s--t," "damn," three uses of the "N" word.

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