The World's Greatest Athlete

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This enjoyable comedy is one of the last Disney live-action films that feels akin to their earlier, innocent films. Jan-Michael Vincent plays the title character Nanu, a parentless child brought up in Africa with unbelievable physical skills (check out his introduction, running faster than a cheetah, played in front of pure-'70s rear-screen projection). John Amos and Tim Conway play a hapless college coaching duo whose fortunes change once they spot Nanu. After a run-in with a smart witch doctor (Roscoe Lee Browne), the two bring Nanu--and his pet tiger--to America, where Nanu finds Jane (Dayle Haddon) and starts to rewrite the record book. The film doesn't age that well, but the little ones will laugh at the shenanigans, especially when Conway is miniaturized by the doctor. Several sportscasters appear as themselves including Howard Cosell, who musters up the line, "I've never seen anything like this in my entire illustrious career." --Doug Thomas

Description

Get on track with Disney's hilarious offbeat comedy starring Jan-Michael Vincent (TV's AIRWOLF) and Tim Conway -- now on Disney DVD. Coach Archer (John Amos) is more famous for losing than winning, but a fateful African safari with his wacky assistant (Conway) leads them to a boy wonder named Nanu (Vincent) -- who just might give them a winning streak. Coaxing him to America is one thing, but the laughs never stop when Nanu meets Jane, fame, and brings the jungle to the gym on his way to becoming the World's Greatest Athlete. Don't miss a chance to take the field with wild family fun for everyone!

Customer Reviews:

Jan-Michael Vincent Saves the Day.......2007-05-21

I recently watched it again and it holds up very well. It is quite funny and still works today. A lot of credit has to go to John Amos as Coach Sam Archer. He gave this silly but entertaining film a lot of character and its his vision to make jungle boy Jan-Michael Vincent the next sports super star to give new life to all his coaching efforts. Jan-Michael Vincent really looked good in this Disney movie. Jan-Michael Vincent could have been a very good star. Too bad things turned bad for him. These were his glory days. He makes a great Disney hero in THE WORLD'S GREATEST ATHLETE. This film really looks great on DVD and it truly is a lot of fun

for the kids.......2007-03-24

This is a definitve Disney film, one smallchildren will enjoy. The adults will enjoy it also, as long as there are little ones viewing with them.

Tarzan competing in college athletics?!?.......2005-11-11

MOVIE: Perhaps it should be called World's Worst Movie. But it's not.

Imagine Tarzan competing in college athletics. That's the premise of this movie starring Tim Conway as a second banana coaching assistant, John Amos as Coach Archer, and Jan-Michael Vincent in the title role. While this is billed as a comedy, I found nothing laugh-out-loud hilarious in this as an adult and only remembered the tiger on the plane joke from my childhood. Mostly it just falls flat. Some images stick out like leftover 60s special effects, like Conway as a little guy calling on a huge rotary dial phone after climbing out of a purse. The tiger gets points just for being there. And Vincent is mildly amusing to see in a role eleven years before Airwolf.

First up is Conway, which is why I watched this 1973 movie again. It is not one of his best performances, although he tries. He's there as Milo Jackson to fumble things up for the coach, doing his shtick, gaining top billing in the process. He's better in the Apple Dumpling Gangs 1 & 2 and definitely in The Private Eyes. Amos's character consistently overshadows his (naturally). Conway's best scene is getting stuck as a result of voodoo unknowingly by the coach.

Amos (Gordon Howard on "Mary Tyler Moore") seems just to have lame material, starting with a standard coming-from-behind coaching speech for all sports and especially in the plot to trick the young Nanu to compete in college athletics.

Nanu from Namibia, Africa, is an honorable man with long blond hair dressed only in a loincloth. This lad just wants to stay there and play with his pet tiger. However, once he is tricked into believing that he has saved Coach Archer's life, he is obligated to follow him the rest of his life. Of course, once the deception is revealed, he sheds his civilized clothing and wants to return back home leaving his coaches stranded. His romantic interest is tutor Jane Douglas played by Canadian Dayle Haddon in her first role. Alluding to Jane of the Tarzan fame is funnier on paper than in this film.

Nanu's father, witch doctor Gazenga, played by Roscoe Lee Browne, is also on had to disrupt Nanu's college career and cast voodoo spells. Danny Goldman plays jilted boyfriend Leopold Maxwell in the plot to send Nanu home and reclaim Jane.

Nancy Walker portrays blind, majorly blind landlady Mrs. Petersen, led to believe that the tiger living in her house in just another student. This is definitely not Walker's best role, because the landlady is pretty stupid, but caring, talking as she does to clothes and the tiger thinking that they are real people. Alas, poor Ms. Walker is hidden behind a hideously large pair of glasses.

Also of note, Howard Cosell plays a long winded, obnoxious sports announcer in the third act. This is a more limited role than the movie trailer portrays. The trailer also makes the movie's plot more substantial.

It is lightweight Disney movie, not the World's Greatest Movie, by any stretch of the imagination. Amusing at times. And fortunately the movie does have a sufficient and pleasant ending, a replay of an earlier scene, putting the coaches back where they began... almost.

DVD: It is widescreen, so that is good. (Important for at least one scene with Conway sneaking onto camera.) The trailer is unrestored, but available. The outtakes last ten minutes, but have no commentary and questionable value.

Good But Inconsistent "Dopey" Disney Comedy.......2005-09-25

I bought this DVD knowing that "The World's Greatest Athlete" wasn't one of the best of the "Dopey" Disney Comedies (For those who don't know, the "Dopey" Disney Comedies were the ones the studio made from 1959 ("Shaggy Dog") to 1984 (when Eisner took over). Admittedly there are stupider Disney comedies to come out since, but they don't have the charm and home-grown look and feel of these 59-84 ones.)

Anyway, blah blah blah, "Athlete" was issued in 1973 and is the first Disney feature to have an African-American star (John Amos) since "Song of the South"! The writing for this film is inconsistent. There are some genuine laughs, particularly from Tim Conway in his first Disney movie, and even some from announcer Howard Cosell!

As far as this DVD goes, I have had no luck finding it in US stores, so the version I received is a Canadian copy. I don't mind as long as it works in my player, which it does. The film itself is a widescreen transfer, which is a good thing, as Disney has sometimes not released their films to DVD in this format. The print quality is excellent and there are even some extras! Although, apart from the original trailer appear to be some random cutting room outtakes that don't have synchonized sound so you don't really know what's going on, and they're not particularly funny, either.

Overall, if you are a "Dopey" Disney Comedy fan, a Tim Conway fan, or wonder where the hell John Amos went after "Roots", check this one out. Otherwise, I direct you to "The Apple Dumpling Gang" for a better time and many more extras on the DVD.

Rolling the dice on a Disney DVD? We have a winner!.......2005-04-21

Here is an excellent example of live-action Disney from the 1970's. A fun film for everyone starring Jan-Michael Vincent as a superathlete raised in the rain forrest (what we used to call the jungle), Roscoe Lee Browne as his mentor, the very funny Nancy Walker as a 'blind as a bat' landlady, and the ever comic genius, Tim Conway. The best suprise is a very funny performance from actor John Amos as a track coach with a dismal win-loss record.

Disney Studios is graciously presenting this fine movie in its Original Aspect Ratio of 1.85:1. Why this movie and not others is, well, typical Disney mentality. But I guess we take 'em as we get 'em and Disney gets my money. Too bad "That Darn Cat, The Barefoot Executive and Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N." missed the 'letterbox boat'!

Plus if you remember seeing this movie, I'd like to learn to park my car at the airport like in the movie.

Charlie Rose with Harold Varmus; Dick Schaap & David Halberstam (October 8, 1999)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Harold Varmus; Dick Schaap & David Halberstam (October 8, 1999)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

Dr. Harold Varmus speaks about his departure from the National Institutes of Health and new position as head of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Varmus discusses the ongoing Human Genome Project and comments on the development of a possible AIDS vaccine. Next, Dick Schaap of ESPN and author David Halberstam share their opinions on which athletes were the greatest of the century.

DVD:

DVD

DVD