Previously unseen footage of the 1974 heavyweight title bout in Zaire between Mohammed Ali and George Foreman, mixed with reminscings from Norman Mailer, George Pimpton and Spike Lee. Ali is the original rapper and reminds how he will always be the greatest and how American culture has changed because of his dynamic presence on the world stage.
Special Agent Matti
I remember rushing home from school one sunny afternoon with my best mate to watch the live telecast and complaining all the while that we should've been let off school early because of the importance of this historical event. Kids'll try anything, right?
But Ali was king in those days, the same way that Michael Jordan is king today, and if you've never heard "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" then you've been living on Mars.
I thought this would be pretty damn boring, not being a huge fan of either boxing or docos, but it wasn't. Ali is a funny, passionate and articulate star. The pacey editing keeps you on your toes and the live performances by African-American music legends like BB King and James Brown just go off.
With all the backstage drama and bitching you'd think they would've called it In bed with Mohammed. Watch and enjoy.
PG (Low level violence)
88 minutes (1:28 hours)
Film: Undated May 2001