Stephen Dorff,
Morgan Freeman,
Armin Mueller-Stahl,
John Gielgud,
Maria Marais
... see more 
John G. Avildsen, director of Rocky and The Karate Kid, adapts Bryce Courtenay's compassionate novel about the coming of age of a white anti-apartheid activist during the years of World War II in Sout... read more
DVD Release Date: June 22, 1999
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Stats: 902 reviews
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Flixster Reviews (902)
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May 11, 2011Another movie I had to watch in school about apartheid in South Africa. This is one of the best of the bunch, I think. It's exciting and dramatic and has a lot of good actors. If you want to see a movie on the subject, I'd recommend this one.
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March 8, 2011Ladies and gentlemen, here is an example of a very rare type of film, a mediocre one. Truly mediocre, equal parts bad and good, one of the worst kind of movies to watch. Why are they so bad to watch? A good film, well, you enjoy it, and a bad film can be made fun of for a good la... read more
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September 23, 2009Great story, shame it isn?t true in a way! (even though it pretends to be!)
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January 25, 2007Awesome film about the power that one person can have in trying to change the world, but how he keeps meeting defeat. Victory is achieved, but he has nothing left.
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November 13, 2006Excellent emotional and passion story of a young English boy in his life. I love it!
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May 17, 2010An utterly fantastic film. John Avildsen is at his best directing inspirational fighting-themed scripts. When it involves eye-opening insight and a dose of morality the result is this underrated gem. And, even though his role is small, Morgan Freeman - as he so often does - st... read more
Critic Reviews
May 20, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety
August 30, 2004
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. Full Review
May 12, 2001
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. Full Review
January 1, 2000
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. Full Review
January 1, 2000
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Though rife with worthy intentions and great notions, this populist safari manages to be both patronizing and manipulative. Full Review
January 1, 2000
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. Full Review
March 1, 1992
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 the... Full Review
February 9, 2006
Derek Adams, Time Out
Avildsen draws good performances from the three actors who play PK, as well as from the ever-reliable Freeman and Müller-Stahl, but subtlety is abandoned when he focuses on the ring and teen romance. Full Review
August 2, 2003
John Esther, Pasadena Weekly
Mushy
July 18, 2003
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A startling film about a young South African boy's coming of age under the tutelage of three spiritual elders. Full Review
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The Power of One
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