Movie Review

Soul Power (2009)

Reviewed by Owen Gleiberman | Jul 08, 2009

Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman is a film critic for EW

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EW's GRADE

Details Limited Release: Jul 10, 2009; Rated: PG-13; Length: 93 Minutes; Genre: Documentary

WATCH ME NOW James Brown in Soul Power

It's been all but forgotten that the 1974 Muhammad Ali–George Foreman bout in Zaire — the event captured so memorably in When We Were Kings (1996) — was the occasion for a three-day soul-music blowout. The entire event was filmed, and this concert movie offers highlights of it for the very first time. It's great to see James Brown in his funk- peacock prime (and the Spinners in their mellow glory), though the general spirit of the festival is more potent than most of the performances. What's infectious in Soul Power is the almost shocking optimism of its America-meets- Africa '70s world-beat vibe. B

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Originally posted Jul 08, 2009 Published in issue #1056 Jul 17, 2009 Order article reprints

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