Ali (2001)
Giancarlo Esposito, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jamie Foxx
The life story of heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, following the champ's early days as Cassius Clay and his rise in sports and politics, including his controversial refusal to fight in the Vietnam War and his infamous comeback battles against Joe Frazier and George Foreman.
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R, 2 hrs. 47 min.
Directed by:
Michael Mann
Release Date: Dec 25, 2001
DVD Release Date: Apr 30, 2002
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Flixster User Reviews
It's no Rocky or Raging Bull, but because the director's name is Michael Mann, one has to watch. Mann is a visualist, and visuals are the films strong point. Somehow the film reminded me of "Ray". That is definitely a better film. A plus to Will Smit... (read more) It's no Rocky or Raging Bull, but because the director's name is Michael Mann, one has to watch. Mann is a visualist, and visuals are the films strong point. Somehow the film reminded me of "Ray". That is definitely a better film. A plus to Will Smith for this role. It may not be Oscar-worthy, but it is a strong performance.
I only saw this recently and was very disappointed. It's too long, too scattered, and had too many unnecessary segments. It lacked in story telling so much that I seriously don't understand how it came to be an Oscar-nominated film.
Yes, I agree with vague. I liked it and now I want to learn more about Ali. I was intrigued by different parts of his life.
I really didn't care for how this film was done. It was overly long and drawn out. The political aspects were numerous, but only somewhat interesting. I didn't like the use of music in this movie; there were 4 or 5 long montage shots and cuts with... (read more) I really didn't care for how this film was done. It was overly long and drawn out. The political aspects were numerous, but only somewhat interesting. I didn't like the use of music in this movie; there were 4 or 5 long montage shots and cuts with music playing in the background that I couldn't wait to end. At times, it even drowned out the dialogue. In a sports movie, it's usually important for the actual sports scenes to be gripping, but even though the ones in this movie seemed fairly realistic, they weren't that great. The closeup in-ring shaky cam was useless.
I wanted to like this so much more than I did, but it just wasn't that good.
Tells a wonderful story, with venomous style, and is stuffed with great performances along the way. Michael Mann approaches the material with real eye for detail too, and allows room for the viewer to feel and interpret events, rather than hitting yo... (read more) Tells a wonderful story, with venomous style, and is stuffed with great performances along the way. Michael Mann approaches the material with real eye for detail too, and allows room for the viewer to feel and interpret events, rather than hitting you over the head with them.
Smith was really on top of his game here, but the movie itself was not what I call exciting or gripping
Critic Reviews
It lacks much of the flash, fire and humor of Muhammad Ali and is shot more in the tone of a eulogy than a celebration.full review
Smith ... demonstrates not only impressive boxing prowess ... but a maturity and subtlety that he's never before shown on screen.full review
Mann and Smith deliver this powerhouse with the urgency of a champ's left hook.full review
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