Ali

There are a lot of fighting sequences in the film. They're shot from a wide variety of angles, including close-ups of gloves or shoulders or feet. It gives the impression of being right there in the ring and part of the action and I found myself wincing at the blows. I couldn't always tell who was hitting who however, and perhaps that was the director's intent. These were over-long in spite of the realism.

I enjoyed the parts or the film which explained Ali's conversion to Islam. And I was glad the film didn't pull any punches about the politics of how he was banned and then re-instated into the religion. Will Smith did a competent job as Ali, but it was rare when his face could register a significant range of emotion. More successful was Jamie Foxx, cast as one of Ali's trainers. He was the center of every scene he was in. Jon Voight played the late Howard Cosell and his scenes with Ali were excellent. The three women in Ali's life, played by Nona Gay, Jada Pinkett Smith and Michel Michele all managed to put their own personalities into small roles that could have easily been stereotyped.

The Mohamed Ali depicted in this film is somewhat of a hero. I can't say personally whether or not this is true. But the film is enjoyable to watch and moved quickly through its 2 hours and 38 minutes. It did need smoother transitions between episodes however. And I would have liked to know more about Ali's Islamic faith. Also, there was certain sameness to all of Ali's opponents. Perhaps the fact that all these questions surfaced in my own mind about Ali and his career is one of the strengths of the film. It left me yearning to know more. I give this film a mild recommendation as an introduction to the world of Mohammed Ali.

Will Smith gives an incredibly powerful performance as Cassius Clay, aka Muhammed Ali. Mario Van Peebles does a great job as Malcom X, and Jamie Foxx is wonderful as Bundini. The movie shows how Ali was manipulated by his management, but also how he stuck to his beliefs.

Will Smith delivers the line so convincingly, it's amazingly powerful and heartfelt. Not only the lines, but Will also took real punches in the movie. They hired professional boxers to play Frazier, Sonny Liston, and and George Foreman, who were allowed to throw real punches at Will but stop at incapacitating him. The realism shows in the boxing scenes. The movie ends at the Rumble in the Jungle, an excellent place to end the story of Ali. We all know the sadness that followed later in life, but there's no need to go into it in the movie.

If you enjoyed the original version of Ali, definitely check it out.

With wit and an athletic genius, that oozed confidence, with both defiance and inner grace, Muhammad Ali (Will Smith) forever changed the American landscape. Ali took on any and all opponents, inside and ouside of the ring. The law, conventions, the status quo, all got a taste of him - not to mention any fists put in front of him. Ali both ignited and mirrored the conflicts of his time and ours to become one of the most admired fighters in the world.

I thought Smith aquited himself very well with his performance as Ali. I was impressed by his ability to not come off like someone doing an exaggerated comedic turn. His transformation may not be 100% spot on, it doesn't have to be, to work out well. I compare how Smith works here, to the way Anthony Hopkins became his own version of Richard Nixon, in that film. Comedian Jamie Foxx, as Drew Brown, should have won the Oscar for his work. Foxx is pitch perfect, showing a dramatic side, he obviously kept well hidden. Jon Voight goes almost unrecognized as controversial sportscaster Howard Cosell, not quite as dynamic playing Malcolm X as Denzel Washington was, Mario Van Peebles is still pretty good, as is Mykelti Williamson playing boxing promoter Don King. Technically, Mann's film is nearly pefect. The director's cut includes a total of eight minutes that have been restored or re-edited. In a subtle way, the new version adds another layer to the story.

The audio commentary from Mann is very well done. The track is engaging, insightful, and never lags. Like the commentary for Manhunter, it's great to listen to Mann discuss how he does his things here as well. The exclusive making-of documentary is basically an HBO First Look for Ali. It's good to see on set footage though.

Ali is an even better film with the inserted/changed footage. Fans and admirers of Mann should pick this up. Anyone else should see it for the performance of Foxx.