A compilation of captivating performances by legendary titans of music, "Soul Power" shows the real power of soul.
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07/09/09
Soul Power (2009)
84
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:69
Fresh:58
Rotten:11
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: Featuring some incredible performances from many 70s soul legends, Soul Power is an exhilarating snap-shot of a bygone era.
Theatrical Release:Jul 10, 2009 Limited
Box Office: $23,893
Synopsis: Though the eyes of the world were on "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974, their ears should have been on Zaire '74, the mammoth music festival that took place in the shadow of the battle between... [More]
Starring: James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz
Director: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
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Reviews for Soul Power
...if you are a fan of any of the musicians ... or maybe I should say if you're completely unfamiliar with any of the musicians mentioned - then Soul Power is well worth seeing. Or at least hearing.
09/09/09
Passionate fans of the music will relish these archived images while regular moviegoers will be entertained, but not moved by what they see.
07/13/09
This has no contextual structure at all. It is essentially the archive footage slapped together.
07/13/09
Soul Power works fabulously as both a concert film and a time capsule of a time and place when gods of black masculinity joined forces to make an international statement of togetherness.
07/09/09
For a documentary about a music festival, Soul Power doesn't include nearly enough music.
09/04/09
Gluttons for these artists and for music festivals in general might wonder, as I have, whether there’s any way the filmmakers might share more of the remaining 123 1/2 hours.
07/16/09
Top CriticIn addition to the expected shots of Ali and Don King in all their megalomania, the intimate portraits of James Brown, Bill Withers, and B.B. King in his triumphant homecoming are as powerful as their performances.
07/16/09
The behind the scenes record of the event is fascinating, both in terms of the mechanics of successfully creating such a massive enterprise and in the personalities involved.
07/10/09
B.B. King. Bill Withers. Miriam Makeba. Celia Cruz. And James Brown, earning every inch of the title, "Godfather of Soul," who all by himself probably deforested a few acres around Kinshasa with the volcanic blast of his set.
11/13/09
Brilliant archive footage and blistering live performances - an exhilarating concert film.
07/10/09
Does its part to widen this historic concert's potential audience base.
10/02/09
Watching the Godfather of Soul on the big outdoor stage, you think back to his appearance in The T.A.M.I. Show a decade earlier. And then you think: I feel good.
07/24/09
Top CriticDirector Jeffrey Levy-Hinte pads out the concert footage with not always stimulating backstage stuff, but the music makes it all worthwhile.
07/10/09
"Soul Power" is an imperfect social document of a time when anything seemed possible. Here's proof that Michael Jackson never had a thing on James Brown.
07/01/09
Seems destined to join classic concert films like Woodstock and Gimme Shelter in the musical archives for its ability to capture the feel of the times and really make you feel like you were there.
07/07/09
The performances are fine, but this feels like a companion piece to 'When We Were Kings' rather than a work that can stand on its own...
08/28/09
Though conventionally filmed in a chronological fashion, this could be the most energetic movie this year.
05/28/09
Flavourful behind the scenes footage mingles with infectious concert performances to make this a very welcome record of a unique piece of music history.
07/10/09
While Soul Power is bound to be compared to the Oscar-winning Ali/Foreman documentary When We Were Kings, it never scales the same heights.
07/10/09
Latest News for Soul Power
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May 09, 2009:
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May 03, 2009:
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