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Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
Directed by
Alex Gibney
Not Rated
2014
1h 55m
Documentary
,
Biography
,
and more
7.4
100%
86%
Add to Watchlist
A look at the music career of musician James Brown beginning with his first hit song, "Please, Please, Please," in 1956.
More
Where to Watch Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
Amazon Prime Video
Subscription
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Subscription
Amazon Video
Buy $9.99
Rent $2.99
Apple TV
Buy $14.99
Cast of Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
James Brown
Self (archive footage)
Bootsy Collins
Self
Chuck D
Self
Mick Jagger
Self
Questlove
Self
Bobby Byrd
Self
Melvin Parker
Self
Maceo Parker
Self
Clyde Stubblefield
Self
Martha High
Self
Alan Leeds
Self
Pee Wee Ellis
Self
Al Sharpton
Self
John 'Jabo' Starks
Self
Danny Ray
Emcee, Cape Man
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown Ratings & Reviews
AV Club
Joshua Alston
Alex Gibney's Mr. Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown is an assured threading-of-the-needle, slowly working its way to the sweet spot where the man and the legend overlap.
The Playlist
Kevin Jagernauth
While this doc certainly could've used more texture, and sometimes races along like a cinematic Wikipedia entry, Gibney accomplishes his task at hand, showing exactly why Brown has had the ability to "stay on the scene" for decades, and decades to come.
San Francisco Chronicle
David Wiegand
People make documentaries about musicians all the time, and some of them are rich with insight. But even among the best of the bunch, few are as thorough about the artist's music as Alex Gibney's Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown.
Common Sense Media
Melissa Camacho
His fans will also get a kick out watching him sing, dance, and showboat as only he knew how to do. But if you don't care for the singer or his music, chances are that you'll lose interest in it before it's over.
Slant Magazine
Chris Cabin
Mr. Dynamite is a strikingly varied and substantial portrait of an intensely complex artist.
NPR
Eric Deggans
Mr. Dynamite is a fitting reminder of the singer's power and influence; the story of an artist whose rise mirrored the journey of black America from segregation to success.
RogerEbert.com
Brian Tallerico
There's so much to the Brown story that focus becomes an issue in a film like Alex Gibney's "Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown." How do you capture the hardest working man in show business in just two hours?
Los Angeles Times
Robert Lloyd
A documentary film on the life and times of James Brown as the times made the music and the music shaped the times, it is a long, soulful scream over an insistent funky vamp.
New York Times
Alessandra Stanley
This is a smart, informative and compassionate look at the artist known as the Godfather of Soul, whose music changed America.
Decider
Benjamin H. Smith
While the 2014 documentary Mr. Dynamite: the Rise Of James Brown claims to explore Brown's beginnings in its title, it actually goes much further.
rogercatlin.com
Roger Catlin
There's a lot see here, including the birth of funk and some candor from the band.
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