MySportsComplex The great Ving Rhames plays a local Cleveland bookie and some time ex-con maneuvering his way to the top of the nascent and dynamic world of pro boxing.Rhames, best known for his role as Pulp Fiction's gang thug Marcellus Wallace, plays a different type of tough guy and hustler in the form of an animated and verbally combative Don King; a persona he nails. Only in America also cameos Bernie Mac, Jeremy Piven and the late soul singer Lou Rawls.For as much as other films like Any Given Sunday and Jerry Maguire have endeavored to depict the perceived evil, cutthroat and slimy nature of sports promoters, Only in America does so not by belaboring its players as bad people. Rather Don King's character is flamboyant, very human, and so exciting that, as he puts it "If you didn't have Don King, you'd have to invent him." written by Andy Frye, MySportsComplex.blogspot.com

mtediting I gave this movie 10 stars (I wish I could have given it more). I have NEVER EVER EVER in my life seen an actor portray a character more accurately and precisely than Ving Rhames portrays Don King. In fact, the first few times that I watched the movie, I thought he actually WAS Don King. I only wish this movie had been released in theaters; I guarantee you, Ving Rhames would have won an Oscar as Best Actor. He has Don King's mannerisms, voice inflection, quirks and idiosyncrasies down to a T (and I mean a CAPITAL T). Believe me when I tell you that Ving Rhames lives, breathes, and eats the essence of Don King. I have never EVER EVER seen an actor portray a character so effectively. Again, I gave it 10 stars, but wish I could have given it 25 stars for Ving Rhames performance.

Peter Hayes The life of boxing promoter Don King was/is so varied and complicated that I would have thought that a low budget TV movie would struggle with it. But hats off to the producers and HBO, while not having fortunes to spend they have covered most of it competently and in Ving Rhames they have a fantastic star performance. In fact it is hard to tell him from the real thing!As we know, boxing has a seamy side, but King seems to the kind of person that pushes the boundaries of even this biz. His silver tongue (he did a lot of reading in prison) tricks many a young boxer in to signing or doing what he wants. From jailhouse to courthouse to penthouse Don has a quality that many an eel would admire. Somehow he always comes back from any setback and seems to be able to actually to turn anything to his own advantage. If you didn't know a lot of this was true you would call it over-the-top!His early life as a numbers runner is not glossed over, although he portrays himself as being in the "hope business" and doing people a big favour. Even in charity he thinks of only one thing - himself. This is great black (in more senses than one) comedy and provides many belly laughs - his treatment of Larry Holmes is a gem, even turning up with a contract on this honeymoon! You don't have to be a boxing fan to enjoy this movie, but it helps. Boxing scenes are well recreated and the star performance by Rhames (who usually plays straight-ahead bad guy roles) is worth tuning in for all by itself. Very enjoyable and far more entertaining than many boxing films with several times the budget.

Lizzy-28 Even if you don't like Don King, you gotta give it up for Ving Rhames in this movie. He is an able portrayer of Don King, from looks to personality (heck, he made Don King a little likable!) The movie gave insight into a sport that you either love or hate - boxing, as well as a look into Don King's history. It made for good viewing and I found myself howling at certain points. A bonus for me happened at the end, during a three second stretch in which my boyfriend's head passed as he walked behind Ving Rhames and Vondie Curtis-Hall at LAX!I would definitely give this movie a 10!