The Power of One 1992

Janet Maslin, New York Times: The film's facile treatment of racial issues may be enough to bring back the practice of throwing tomatoes at the screen. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: The Power of One spends so much screen time reveling in the eloquence and bravery of its hero and depicting South Africa's blacks as an anonymous horde of victims that the film, in effect, becomes their victimizer. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: "The Power of One" begins with a canvas that involves all of the modern South African dilemma, and ends as a boxing movie. Somewhere in between, it loses its way. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: A violent cartoon that trivializes apartheid. If there's any justice, the birds of loneliness will be circling the box office. Read more

Derek Adams, Time Out: Avildsen draws good performances from the three actors who play PK, as well as from the ever-reliable Freeman and Muller-Stahl, but subtlety is abandoned when he focuses on the ring and teen romance. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: Beautifully produced and gorgeously shot on location in Zimbabwe by lenser Dean Semler, picture has depth, dimension and first-rate casting. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: It's resounding bunk, candied over with the lush music of Johnny Clegg and hyped to death by director John ("Rocky") Avildsen. Read more

Rita Kempley, Washington Post: Though rife with worthy intentions and great notions, this populist safari manages to be both patronizing and manipulative. Read more