Product Description

Michael Jordan explodes on screen in this box office hit, Michael Jordan: To the Max. Get ready to experience some of the greatest moments in modern sports history from one of the most dominant sport legends of all time. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Sensational
This is, in my opinion, the finest video/documentary on Michael Jordan. It is head and shoulders above all of the dunk'o'rama highlight fodder which fills all of the other Jordan videos.

The production values are top notch. The colours are vivid and the sound is crisp. The voiceover commentary is provided by Laurence Fishburne and sets the tone well. Because the movie was filmed using IMAX technology it has a wide view of the on-court action which allows the viewer to take in everything which is happening. The DVD extras are more of an afterthought and do not really bring much to the mix.

As I alluded to before, this film focuses more on Jordan's leadership and his burning desire to win, which is a refreshing change.

Jordan is one of my favourite athletes. It is nice to finally see a production which actually pays him and his abilities the respect he deserves. I highly recommend this film, even more so to those people who never saw him play prior to his comeback with the Wizards, as they will see him when he was at the absolute pinnicle of human skill and ability.

Larger than Life
Michael Jordan, whether soaring through the air in highlight-reels or examining his life and achievements in more staid documentaries, is always worth watching. This film uses a little of each while chronicling his final season as a Bull. Though it is not nearly as exciting as when viewed on a gigantic IMAX screen, the DVD version retains the vivid colors and crisp sounds that set this documentary apart from others that have focused on Jordan's career. With interesting commentary by people such as Phil Jackson and Bob Greene who know Jordan well, there is more insight into the man than in standard NBA Films type-material, and the flashbacks to Michael's struggles during high school, his brief stint in baseball, and the death of his father, really make the story of his triumphant season compelling. I would highly recommend this DVD to any fan of Michael Jordan.

Ultimate Jordan is a lot better
I bought this DVD with great anticipation only to be let down. Sure the visuals are great but I'm more interested in the plays that made the Jordan experience special. The Ultimate Jordan is a much better DVD.

The tale of a man and his basketball.
I've always been a huge fan of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls (especially since I live in Illinois). I went to an IMAX theater to watch this documentary. Once I got there, the IMAX screen was huge and looked nice (something that I would later realize was more of a hassle than a benefit). For starters, the screen was so big that you're constantly looking around you just to see the movie. But enough about my personal experiences and how I dislike the IMAX screen, lets get on with the actual movie/documentary(This is a standard documentary to me, but it seems like some people insist on calling it a movie). I have to be completely honest here: "Michael Jordan to the Max" is somewhat boring. Don't get me wrong, it well documents some of the highlights of M.J.'s career, but even a person that said he was one of Michael's biggest fans was sleeping during it. I suppose this documentary is something nice to have to complete your M.J. highlight DVDs, but some might find this thing to be a little boring.

Decent
I did not see this on the IMAX screen (but I have seen other films, so I can extrapolate somewhat). There is good background on Michael Jordan and some good shots. A lot of it focuses on the Chicago Bulls versus Utah Jazz rounding out MJ's career, but it is done well. Some things are his baseball career and the positive influences of his father are worthy additions. Overall, good for any basketball fan, especially fans of MJ. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Aviva Kempner's Oscar-nominated documentary is about baseball likeField of Dreams is about cornfields. Kempner efficiently covers all thebases of Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg's magnificent career witharchival footage and talking heads, including family members, formerteammates and baseball legends, broadcasters and sportswriters, and suchunabashed fans as Alan Dershowitz and Walter Matthau. If this biography'sstyle is not remarkable, its subject certainly was. Greenberg, the son ofimmigrant parents, was a beacon of hope to Jews. As one observer notes,baseball was a way of "showing we were as American as everybody else." To seeone of their own succeed in the national pastime at a time of virulentanti-Semitism was a source of pride and inspiration. One lifelong fan, arabbi, states, "He was the baseball Moses." Winner of several criticsassociation awards for Best Documentary, this is a stirring film for allseasons. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A Fantastic Documentary
have to admit it, before watching Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, I really didn't know that much about Hank Greenberg. I of course had heard his name mentioned as 'one of the greats' and I had heard that he was one of the first openly Jewish ballplayers to play baseball, but I really knew very little about his life story. As with many great documentaries, after watching Life and Times of Hank Greenberg I now feel like I really know the whole Hank Greenberg story, and it is a pretty amazing story.

Greenberg played at a time where there simply weren't openly Jewish ballplayers. And while Hank wasn't a deeply religious person, he didn't (like some) conceal the fact he was Jewish. Hank Greenberg is known both for standing up in the face of bigotry as well as being an amazing ballplayer. Playing for the Detroit Tigers for the majority of his career, Hank Greenberg was the first player in the American League to receive the MVP award twice. In 1938 he came amazingly close to breaking Babe Ruth's single season home run record 23 years before it was broken by Roger Marris.

Life and Times of Hank Greenberg is a loving tribute to a man who didn't let bigotry get in the way of his love for baseball and never stopped giving it his all. The documentary was produced over the course of 12 years and features interviews with Hank (who is no longer living), as well as many of the ball players and children of the people he played with. Watching a movie like Life and Times of Hank Greenberg really gives you a glimpse into what makes baseball America's pasttime and something that has the ability to create legends. If you're a baseball fan I'd highly recommend you check out Life and Times of Hank Greenberg - it's a fantastic documentary.

Hank Greenberg the Jewish Babe Ruth/Moses/Jackie Robinson
If the point of "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" is lost on the viewer, then history itself put the writing on the wall when the owner of the Detroit Tigers misunderstood the meaning of an old photograph of Greenberg and traded his star to the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 1947 season. Greenberg's last season in the baseball was Jackie Robinson's first, and Greenberg was in the National League to witness it first hand. Not surprisingly, Greenberg was one of the few opposing ball players to offer Robinson encouragement in breaking baseball's color line. But then, as this 1999 documentary proved repeatedly, no white player in the history of the game had been subjected to the abuse Greenberg suffered because his was Jewish. Without a doubt Robinson suffered more, maybe even more that first season than Greenberg his entire career. But this documentary also shows that Greenberg was as important to the American Jewish community as Jackie was to African Americans.

I remembered that Greenberg was the first person to win the MVP award at two different positions and that in 1935 he had 100 R.B.I.'s at the break and was not selected for the All-Star team (Manager Mickey Cochrane did not want to be accused of playing favorites with someone from his own team and picked Lou Gehrig and Jimmy Foxx instead). But what I really picked up from this documentary was how good Greenberg made the Detroit Tigers during his career. If you look at his career batting statistics you will see that Greenberg played eight full seasons and batted in over 100 runs seven times for the Tigers between 1933 and 1946 (several seasons were lost to injury and military service). The Tigers played in the World Series in 1934, 1935, 1940, and 1945, and Greenberg was the common denominator for those teams. You will be hard pressed to find a major league baseball player with that sort of success ratio since Greenberg's day outside of New York Yankees like Berra, Ford, Mantle, and Jeter.

Writer-director Aviva Kempner balances Greenberg's playing career with the impact he had as baseball's first Jewish star. There are some clips from an old interview with Greenberg, who died in 1986. But most of the talking heads are from contemporary clips of Greenberg's family, former teammates, reporters, and lifelong fans. The last category are the most interesting, because it includes not only famous people like Walter Matthau and Alan Dershowitz, but ordinary fans, including several rabbis and a self-admitted "groupie." These are the people with whom "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" resonates the most. Clearly this is a documentary which will be of interest to baseball fans but also to those interested in the story of a true American hero.

Final Note: The documentary does not point out that in 1938 when Greenberg hit 58 home runs, two short of Babe Ruth's record, he hit two balls into a screen that were ground rule doubles; however, that screen was not there when Ruth played in 1927

An exceptional documentary
I think this is a truly exceptional documentary on many different levels. First, it tells the story of one of the best baseball players in history, who often goes unrecognized for his skills. I consider myself a big baseball fan, especially in the history of baseball and stars of the past. Yet before this movie, I knew very little about Hank Greenberg. Despite being one of the best hitters at that time, Greenberg isn't talked about very often. This DVD gets his story out, and shows how dominant of a ball player he was.

A major reason that Greenberg is often overlooked when people talk about great ball players is that he spent many of his prime years serving the war effort and was away from baseball. This has kept his lifetime stats and therefore his notoriety down.

Another major reason this movie was so good was how it showed Greenberg's career in baseball as a Jewish baseball player. Although his abuse was less than what Jackie Robinson would later recieve, he still did suffer abuse. Also, he was watched and revered by the Jewish community. He was respected and admired as a Jewish man who was just as good as other American ball players, giving Jews a sense of pride. One of the best parts of the film is when the viewer learns that Greenberg talked to Jackie Robinson about playing in baseball as a minority, and gave him support.

Whether he was helping Detroit win the World Series, serving his country in the war, being a symbol of pride for the Jewish population, or giving Jackie Robinson advice, we can see that he meant a lot to a lot of people. This is a remarkable story about a remarkable man, through the lens of baseball. If you like baseball and baseball history, this movie is a must-see.

Important Ballplayer for many reasons.
Hank Greenberg seemed like a pretty decent fellow and a whale of a ballplayer. Like many, he lost his prime years fighting those jerks in the Pacific. No telling how good his career number would have been if he could have been back in the states poking at the pill. Even with that handicap he still played in three World Series and won 2 MVP awards. This move does a pretty good job of documenting his life, but it seems to define him too much by his religion. Greenberg wasn't even a religious person, but the film continues to go back to the subject. I'm sure that he found discrimination along the way, but when you see the actual footage of him interviewed in 1983, you get the impression that he would be very uncomfortable with his life being told through that lens. He seems too no nonsense for that. It's interesting when he collides with rookie Jackie Robinson in 1947, and offers him encouragement. It's really a poetic moment in baseball history.

The movie is good enough that it seems too short. A shame that there isn't more baseball footage from that time period.

A Thorough and Rounded Biographical Film
My father often talks of how Hank Greenberg is not given the credit he deserves as a ballplayer, as a great power hitter and as an amazing story of persistence in coming back as a tremendous player after serving in World War II. I bought him this video as a Father's Day gift, and I think I enjoyed it as much as he did. This documentary/biography is not at all dry. Many people, famous and not, are shown speaking of their admiration for Hank Greenberg as a player and as a man. The video emphasizes heavily his role as the first openly Jewish player in major league baseball, the bigotry he faced, and the grace with which he responded to it. A home run with two men on base was Greenberg's reply to an ethnic slur; what could be better? I enjoy the statistics of baseball and Greenberg's performance numbers were not mentioned as much as I would have liked, but that is a minor point. After seeing this video, I feel I know the first Hammerin' Hank as well as any of today's players, and admire him more than the vast majority playing today, not just for his hitting prowess but for his character. ... Read more

Reviews (61)

An insight into late 20th century culture and racial issues
In WHEN WE WERE KINGS, Leon Gast portrays 1974's "Rumble in the Jungle" as a cultural milestone in American history. This is more than a film on boxing -- it sheds light on the entire sport of boxing and, more importantly, on issues of race in America and rest of the world in the late 20th century. Intellectuals such as Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, and Spike Lee add comentary, and ask questions such as: Who was the "good" black boxer? Who should we root for, the draft-dodging but personable and funny Ali, aged and probably past his prime, or the super-talented, but also aloof and arrogant, Foreman. The contrast between the ways in which each boxer relates to the black Africans in Zaire is interesting and touching, and the fans' pre- and mid-fight chants trying to rally the losing Ali stay with you long after the film has faded to black. The film sets off at a lightnign quick pace and never slows down, and the last twenty minutes is among the most triumphant filmmaking, documentary or fictional, that I have ever seen. This film is a must see for sport fans, cultural historians, and anybody who loves good movies.

great background on Rumble in the Jungle 1974 event
The thing that leaped out at me:
1) BB King's singing and playing guitar in 1974 in Africa was at the top of his game.
2) Norman Mailer's analysis and insight when interviewed 1974 is like a sample from his book, "Fight", which is now featured, in part, on Muhammad Ali's web site now.
3) Ali seemed like a smartalec to me in 1974, but now in 2004 looking at the old footage of him talking, he seems charismatic and funny .If you want lots of Rumble in the Jungle fight footage, this is not the DVD for you, but if you want insight in to the event and what contributed to Ali's upset of Foreman, this is a must have.

Not quite the whole truth
My DVD, bought in England, contains as extras the full-length footage, round by round, of both the Rumble and the Thrilla, with English commentary by David Frost among others. I have to agree with those reviewers who have pointed out that WWWK badly misrepresents the fight. The simple truth is that Ali won every round of the Rumble. He was right on top of Foreman from the outset, and the clever editing and dramatic spin put on the match by Norman Mailer is just so much fiction. Foreman looked like he'd swallowed some substance which was the opposite of speed: as Joe Frazier said in the live commentary, he was missing with empty air-swings and "boxing foolish". After two rounds, which was about as far as he'd needed to go in previous fights, he ran out of wind. He still tried to use Ali's body as a punch-bag, more and more feebly, while Ali was picking off blow after blow to Foreman's head as if it was a standing punch-ball. Ali certainly threw a head-punch with shattering speed. He rolled around on the ropes a lot of the time, but for the rest he ducked away and danced around grinning fit to bust, mocking Foreman with his mouth and winking to the crowd. He was in much better physical shape, superbly fit, and he boxed an extremely smart strategy in the local conditions. WWWK is still a great film, however, full of interesting comment on the politics and hoop-la of the event: but it's marred by its fake telling of the fight. Ali is presented in all his glorious charismatic uppity persona, a magnificent physical presence, funny and clever, the epitome of boxing skill. I could have done without a lot of the music etc, but it seems this was part of the original reason for making the film. Four stars for WWWK, five stars for this DVD because it has the real thing as an extra feature.

One of the Best Documentaries Ever
This fight was one of the first distinct memories of my childhood. The damn thing took forever to come on TV (my father and his friends had gotten it on closed circuit in Germany) and I fell asleep at least once waiting for the fighters to finally make it into the ring. I was too young to understand everything that went on in the leadup to the "event" (and that's what it was) and I was absolutely delighted to learn that this film was going to be released so I could catch up.

And it is a truly great film. It is a great film because it documents a great time in American and African history and because the things it documents are inherently dramatic and exciting. That said, this is also a terrific film from a filmmaking point of view; wonderful camera work, in your face documenting, and intelligent editing. It's not as "artsy" as Leni Riefenstahl's classic documentation of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but that event had a totally different cultural and historical context.

As a sport film, this movie is also important because it documents one of the greatest fights of all time; Ali correctly noted after the fight that his rope-a-dope strategy would go down in the annals of boxing.

All in all a wonderfully entertaining, informative, and inspiring way to spend about 90 minutes of your time.

Ali Boom Bay Yea
As a piece of archival footage this film can't be beat, as it captures the chaos and pageantry that surrounded the Ali-Foreman fight in 1974. Ali never looked so great as he did in the build up to this fight. He was in prime form, even if a heavy underdog to the massive George Foreman. Leon Gast captures Ali in all his crazy kinetic glory, boasting proudly of how he would dance, and Foreman wouldn't lay a glove on him. Gast also focuses on Don King who in typical fashion played both ends of the stick, promoting both fighters and coming up with a $10 million purse thanks to Mobutu Sese Seko, Zaire's ruthless dictator, who saw a potential windfall for the country in the international attention this fight would generate. As Ali noted, some nations go to war to get attention and this fight will cost a lot less than a war. What we got was the famous "Rumble in the Jungle."

Unfortunately, this film doesn't go very deep in analyzing the fight, and gives the fight itself surprisingly short shrift. All we get are a handful of truncated rounds and the final blow delivered by Ali. But, what this film does provide is the pageant that surrounded the fight along with engaging commentary by Norman Mailler, who evocatively captured the spectacle in "The Fight," George Plimpton, Thomas Hauser, who has written the definitive biography on Ali, and Spike Lee. Mailler is the most fun to listen to, as he lived and breathed the fight and gives some of the most trenchant comments on it, but he too seemed mystified at how Ali pulled it off, chalking it up to the "trembling woman" who supposedly sucked the life out of Foreman.

George Foreman seemed invincible, having torn apart Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, but he simply wasn't prepared to deal with someone of Ali's caliber, or the massive publicity this fight generated. Foreman was also shocked to be so poorly received in Africa, where Ali was King. Foreman seemed out of place in Kinshasha, never able to find his footing or able to deal with a crafty fighter like Ali, who came up with his famous "rope-a-dope" that evening. Foreman simply punched himself out and had nothing left after seven rounds. It was then that Ali worked his magic and proved to the world that he was indeed the greatest, staging one of the most astonishing comebacks in sports history.

"Ali Boom Bay Yea" the crowd chanted as Ali fought himself off the ropes and pummeled Foreman with an array of blows that had him tumbling to the mat. Ali never had another moment like this, although he would successfully defend his title 10 times before his ignominous defeat to Leon Spinks in 1978, only to regain it for the third time that year. This film does more than any other at capturing Ali in top form, with all his remarkable charisma and incredible talent. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This DVD contains two documentaries about boxing legend Muhammad Ali,one focusing on Ali's brilliance in the ring and the other on his naturalshowmanship at the microphone. Skill, Brains & Guts begins with Ali'semergence as a great amateur fighter, then chronicles his career through theglory days of the 1960s, his exile from the ring following his refusal to jointhe military during the height of the Vietnam War, and his eventual comeback andlandmark fights against Joe Frazier and George Foreman. The 1975 film is worthwatching for all the fight footage of Ali in his prime, when he captivated theworld with both his pugilistic skill and his entertaining arrogance. In HisOwn Words collects a number of rarely seen interview and press conferenceclips and showcases Ali as a remarkably skilled practitioner of what wouldbecome known as "talking trash." --Robert J. McNamara ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Dissapointed with documentary
I own both 'When we were Kings' and 'Muhammad Ali: Greatest Fights (HBO)', I thought this DVD would complement my collection. It does not. The documentary does not show any of Ali's fights but gives you the fight summaries with the sound of the starting bell in the background. Ali's interviews are short (though some of them are rare footage). Two of Ali's greatest fights 'Rumble in the Jungle' and 'Thirller in Manilla' are treated like any other fight, with no emphasis on their importance in Ali's career. The summation in the ending is too abrupt and leaves a true Ali fan dissapointed with this short and commercially engineered documentary. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hockey great Mark Messier is profiled in this DVD that documents hiscareer from childhood hockey leagues in his native Canada to NHL superstardom in New York City. Messier first achieved stardom as a member of the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty of the 1980s, which won three Stanley Cups in four years.But he rose to his greatest fame, and escaped from the shadow of Wayne Gretzky, when he arrived with great fanfare in the Big Apple and sought to lead the downtrodden Rangers to the Stanley Cup, a seemingly impossible goal. Mark Messier: Leader, Champion & Legend shows vividly how Messier initially faced some rocky times after arriving in Madison Square Garden before the Rangers finally won the biggest prize in hockey after a 54-year drought. Family members, former teammates (including, of course, Gretzky), and even the coach from his childhood bantam league team appear to talk about Messier's love of the game and his astounding desire to win.The action footage is often spectacular, and there is an appropriate amount of atmospheric material, including scenes of wild-eyed Ranger fans going insane as they extol the virtues of Messier. --Robert J. McNamara ... Read more

Reviews (3)

There's no doubt he WAS good he HAD a great career.
Excuse me I just want to let all of you now that 1994 just called and there getting awfully tired of you there's plenty of room in the 21st century and for the many of you who are still stuck 1994 look at the him and the rangers now. And oh yeah in case you forgot last the Canadien to ever WIN the cup was done by the MONTREAL CANADIENS in the year 1993 and 1993 was TEN YEARS AGO.

Mark Messier - A Good Hero Story, Not So Much Hockey
This video tells the human story of Mark Messier's impressive career. I would say it does that well; certainly well enough for me.

I was hoping for more, better video of Mark's style and skills. I would really like to see what he does that makes him so good; and the DVD format seems to offer so much potential for that sort of demonstration. There is a fair amount of video of Mark, but not as much and not as good as I would have liked.

Still, it's one of the few ice hockey DVD's out there; certainly more ice hockey content than "Mystery Alaska", and I'm glad to have it.

The History of The Moose
BEST HOCKEY TAPE EVER! Gives you the whole story on one of the NHL's greatest players. Really exciting! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Extreme skier Shane McConkey is the protagonist of this affably oddball documentary that features some suitably spectacular footage of McConkey casually doing what most skiers can only fantasize about. There are interviews with McConkey, who comes off as the laidback dude one might expect, as well as interviews with his mother and a few friends (one of whom tells a funny story proving that "there's something wrong with McConkey"). And a few comic interludes, including McConkey's attempt to star in a music video, pop up. But the real point to this production is the skiing footage, which is uniformly spectacular. McConkey and others (including Olympic champion Jonny Moseley) go rocketing down absurdly steep mountainsides in footage shot from helicopters, and of course they make it all seem so effortless that you can almost forget how insanely dangerous it is. And speaking of bodily peril, McConkey is also seen flying off ski jumping ramps backwards and gleefully sailing through space. As someone quips, "his radness can't be quantified." Keeping with the athlete-as-outlaw theme, there are also segments on BASE jumping, in which McConkey and others are seen parachuting from bridges, tall buildings, and mountainsides. Some of the film's humor is strained, but this is for the most part an entertaining look at a character who just can't get enough downhill excitement. --Robert J. McNamara ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Most Entertaining Ski Video Ever!
Those that were disappointed that this wasn't 100% sick skiing footage need to take a chill pill, or get a sense of humour. Just the cover pic lets you know this is goofy movie so why take it so seriously.

The skiing footage is insane, but how much heli footage can you take? That's why they break it up with Saucer Boy and all of the innovative ways they incorporated the sponsors. How can you expect a serious movie about McConkey if you know anything about him?

I've watched this dozens of times, and still am amazed at the skiing, and still laugh my ass off every time.

There's Something Sick About Shane...
Too funny for words - our kids love it, and the White Rap is worth the price alone!

Oh yeah, the boy can ski too....

SWEETNESS!!!
Okay, this isn't the most innovative skiing video ever, but it covers important parts of freeskiing hisory and how a rebel skier helped revolutionize it.
There's nothing sicker than a McConkey invert off of cliffs andthe hugest switch fronts and backs i've ever seen.
There is also a cool BASE jump in Canada at midnight with Olympic god Jonny Mosely as the get-away driver...
Although most of the music in this is from Surfdog Records, it isn't all bad.
And there's nothing funnier than watching a white [guy] try to break dance.

Agree with Edgy
I wish I had seen Edgy's review before purchasing this DVD.I was interested in a movie with skiing footage.This has about 25% ski footage, 25% base jumping, and about 50% stupid skits.

Edgy Teen Appeal
I purchased the vid given the hipe and because McConkey is an awesome skier.Having watched this back to back with some of other ski flicks... my impression was that the film was not of the same standard (skiing or filming).

The thing that bothered me, and everyone of the adults (expert skiers) in the crowd was the immature non-skiing footage. It really detracted from what could have been an entertaining movie. ... Read more