The World's Greatest Athlete

From the JUNGLE to the GYM...He's the Greatest!

1973 • 106 min • Comedy · Family

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Synopsis

Stuck with a feeble sports department, college coach Sam Archer (John Amos) faces the ax unless he can reverse the school's athletic fortunes. An African vacation with his assistant (Tim Conway) answers Archer's prayers when he spots the athletically gifted Nanu (Jan-Michael Vincent). Sam counts on Nanu's remarkable abilities to put the team back on the winning track. This upbeat farce boasts an impressive cast of comedians.

Our family guide

Best from age 6

Movie Knight Score

36 reviews

100 Reviewers · 1 · 60%
55 Audience · 35 · 40%

College coach Sam Archer discovers Nanu, an incredibly athletic young man, during an African vacation. He brings Nanu back to turn his struggling sports program around, leading to comical adventures as Nanu adapts to a new world. This G-rated family comedy features slapstick humor and heartwarming moments.

Violence & peril: 1/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 0/10
Romance & sensuality: 0/10
Scary moments: 1/10

Heads up

Slapstick pratfalls

What it models well

Teamwork and collaboration
Adapting to new cultures
Using your talents for good
Importance of family

Talk about it after

What makes Nanu a good athlete?
How is Nanu's culture different?
What are some funny misunderstandings?

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The World's Greatest Athlete. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Robert Scheerer • Crew: Gerald Gardner, Dee Caruso

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Bang average. <em>'The World’s Greatest Athlete'</em> feels like a mixture of stuff we've seen before in this era of Disney. It doesn't do enough to make an impact on me, not helped by silliness of the story and meh casting. John Amos is the best part of this, I enjoyed what he brings to the table here.…
r96sk, TMDB Community