User reviews

From an objective standpoint, a 2 hour 37 minute Biography/Drama is usually higher than a 6.7 and way more than 105K ratings. I usually don't prefer 150+ minute dramas, but Ali was pretty good. Other then recognizing the name, I don't actually know anything about Muhammad Ali, so I don't really know how accurate Will Smith's performance was. I wish there was less holding in the boxing matches, but the choreography wasn't Rocky level but pretty solid. For some reason, unnecessarily extending movies automatically gets them higher ratings, so even though Ali wouldn't have been "as successful" if it was 2 ish hours long, I would have liked it more. Ali is a solid boxing movie that deserves more recognition in the genre.

As we celebrate one of the finest sportsmen in history who died two days ago at age 74, I decided to see this movie dedicated to him, Cassius Clay famously known as Muhammad Ali starring Will Smith as the main role.

I never watched one of his fights as his career was over even before I was born. I'm not a real fan of boxing either which I find violent and ruthless. But I still know about Muhammad Ali and his legendary stance, his endless will to fight both on the ring and outside. A man who stood for his beliefs and opinions, never flinching once.

My very big, personal memory of him was when I watched him in Atlanta, brandishing the Olympic Torch to light the Cauldron. Despite shaking from all his body, he was standing there with so much pride. I was amazed and truly impressed, almost having a tear and getting chills. That was Muhammad Ali, a man of valor, honor and pride.

Another proof of his character was when he refused to be drafted for the Vietnam War because he thought this war wasn't right and the complete opposite to his religious beliefs. Despite he knew what he was about to face, he never flinched and assumed his decision until he was finally cleared.

Now that I saw that movie, I think it's making a nice tribute to Mr Ali even if I wished that it wouldn't stop at the Rumble in the Jungle, the historic bout between Ali and George Foreman. I would have wished to see him fighting his illness as he was as brave against it and it had a deep impact in his life until his death. Maybe they should have made it in two parts as there is so much to tell about the man.

Anyway, I applaud Will Smith performance in this movie. It's one of his finest. He has the same cheekiness, the same way of saying the things straight in an humorous manner. Will was the perfect choice for the role. I also appreciated Jamie Foxx performance as his mentor. Most of the note I give is because of those two.

First off let's just get this out of the way. Will Smith should have won the Oscar for his portrayal of Ali. Perhaps what keptmitnfrom happening was the film just was not quite as good as he was. The film was quite admirable done. Well crafted and very accurate. The fight scenes were choreographed to perfection. My only problem with the film was it did not portray Ali's competitors realistically. Joe Frazier was the most troubling. Being from Philly I knew Joe Frazier all-too-well. The actor was too well spoken. He looked nothing like Frazier. He fought nothing like Frazier. Jerry Quarry was nothing like the real man. The only fighter they got right was George Foreman. His look, fight style and few words he spoke were dead on. I was certainly of very influential age during Ali's time depicted in this film and overall was very impressed with the fight scenes, acting, look of the film, score and production. It was like reliving my youth watching it. For those who are younger you can be assured it is the way his life wemt down. Enjoy.

It's a biopic of the great boxer Muhammad Ali (Will Smith). It starts in 1964 when still as Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship. Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles) befriends the young fighter. He is outspoken, converts to Islam joining the Nation of Islam, and becomes the world wide icon. Jon Voight makes a nice turn as Howard Cosell.

Muhammad Ali is such a big personality. Possibly nobody could ever do him justice. Certainly nobody could ever live up to the legend. Will Smith is probably the only one who could make the attempt. The fact that he didn't embarrass himself is a big win. It is a surprise that director Michael Mann made this movie. It doesn't have the kinetic energy of his other movies. It's such a dour performance. Will is playing it with simmering anger every second of the movie. He's great with Ali's voice, but it doesn't have any joy in it. Will is good hitting that same note over and over again. I just wish he hit other notes in his performance. 'When We Were Kings' is a superior movie for comparison. This is a good biopic not not much more.

One of the great sportsmen of all time, Mohamad Ali (nee Cassius Clay) deals with racism, women, the State Department, and predatory entourages while winning, loosing, and winning the Heavy Weight Championship of the World. The ring scenes seemed very realistic and although I'm not a fan of the 'sweet sport', I would have liked to see more about the Champ's coaching, training and boxing strategies. Apparently Will Smith put a lot of effort into the role but all I see is Will Smith pretending to be Mohammad Ali (perhaps due to watching 20 years of subsequent Will Smith roles). On the other hand, Jon Voight, buried under his Howard Cosell makeup is great as the legendary and often imitated icon of 1960s/70s sports broadcasting, and the rest of the cast is generally quite good (notably Mario Van Peebles as Malcom X) . While some people applauded the soundtrack, I found it overwhelming and distracting at times (my usually criticism of Michael Mann's directorial style). Good but not 'the greatest'.

This film has a lot to recommend it: Excellent Will Smith performance, impeccable technical credentials, mostly solid music choices, kinetic boxing scenes, etc. My main issue with it, although I still like it overall, is that the narrative meandered a bit too much, and went on a little too long. The only scenes which really popped for me were the fight scenes, especially Joe Frazier and the climactic Rumble in the Jungle (which was amazing). There were also some solid supporting performances, particularly by Mario Van Peebles as Malcolm X. His assassination, for me, was the most dramatically affecting part of the whole film. Also mentioned that the music was generally excellent, although an R. Kelly song took me out of the experience for a bit. Overall, a bit below from what I expect of Michael Mann, but was quite good as a Will Smith vehicle.

Ali (2001) is a movie I recently rewatched on Hulu and tells the tale of Ali's life from his first title fight through his fight at the later stage of his life in Africa versus George Foreman. Ali faced trials and tribulations about religion, politics, his ability to impact society, financial and marital challenges. This movie is directed by Michael Mann (Heat) and stars Will Smith (Hancock), Jamie Fox (Ray), Jon Voight (Anaconda), Mario Van Peebles (Heartbreak Ridge), Jeffrey Wright (Westworld), Jada Pinkett Smith (Menace II Society) and Mykelti Williamson (Forest Gump). The storyline for this movie is fun to watch unfold due to all the characters in and out of Ali's life and how he handled and spoke to them. His lines were as legendary as him. The cast is excellent and I, for one, enjoyed Smith as Ali. The settings, circumstances and backdrops are very well delivered, as are the obstacles he had to overcome. The soundtrack was also very good. This is a solid character piece that isn't perfect but is worth watching. I'd score this a solid 7/10.

Muhammed Ali's life is big enough for six movies, let alone one. A giant life, that thankfully was brought alive again by Will Smith. He's just perfect here. Everything from the cadence of his voice to his glide across the ring. He was born to play him. Arguably, this is the performance of his career. Throughout, this is a thrill ride. Michael Mann does as good of a job as he was expected to do. The only qualm I have is how reliant his direction is on other existing sources. His interpretation of Ali's relationship with Malcom X leaves a lot to be desired. It copies Spike Lee's Malcom X, right down to the moment of his assassination, and the usage of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Going to Come". Mann also has a bit of trouble balancing Ali the activist with Ali the fighter within the narrative. It's not an easy feat, but Mann isn't exactly a novice director either.

Michael Mann's 'Ali' hasn't won many plaudits however I thought it had plenty to offer. I found many strands and elements to the portrait, that was effectively brought out in the fine acting performance by Will Smith. What stood out above all was the absolute pride and brashness of Ali. Here was a man always on fire, brimming with confidence. Some of his opponents set themselves up for defeat when they baited him, calling him Cassius Clay, his ancestors' slave name, rather than his Islam ordained name, Muhammed Ali. Ali was never going to cop anyone being condescending to him. Ali was super slick on his feet and even more slick with his brain. He was lethal at press conferences, showing as little mercy in them as he did in the ring. Ali and famous sporting broadcaster Howard Cossell developed a friendship however Ali was unrelenting in the barbed invective he threw at him. Ali, certainly stung like a bee sometimes! I found it interesting the way Ali's relationship with women was portrayed. His hotheadedness and charisma meant that he never had any problem making relationships with women. Keeping relationships was something altogether different. His arrogance and innate conservatism, fuelled by his religious faith, destroyed many relationships. Other themes that came across was Ali's strong, religious stance, converting from the Christianity he was brought up in, to change to Islam, and his strong sense of racial pride, captured best in the Zaire scenes. By no means a perfect film but one worth seeing and it gives one a little more of an insight into a unique, brilliant character.

This movie was a massive failure. When I go to a movie about somebody I know almost nothing about, I expect to know a fair bit about that person after the movie is over. Well I still know very little about Ali. At the end of most scenes, I asked myself "what just happened?" or "what did he/she say?". This is not a good sign. In interviews, Will Smith said he had to learn all about being muslim....why??? I learnt absolutely nothing about it from this movie, just that apparently the leaders of the faith wanted Ali's money. Michael Mann's "The Insider" was a terrific movie that gave me tremendous insight into that situation. So why has he failed this time?

The movie has its task cut out.

Muhammad Ali was a sportsperson unlike any other. He was present at the cross roads of historic events such as civil rights movement, Vietnam war juxtaposed with his boxing successes. He was brash and supremely confident. He was a fanatic in certain religious aspects , but was very liberal while philandering. And Will Smith nails all these parts with stunning brilliance.

The boxing matches bring out the ferocity of the fist fights. The drama, centred around Ali's marriages, his membership in the League Of Islam and friendship with the radical Malcolm X, his legal troubles with the US government, everything gets screentime.

The screenplay doesn't let the narrative lag. For a film made 20 years ago, it feels like a freshly released master piece.

Really enjoyed it. Highly recommended. Streaming on Netflix.

Finally got around to seeing this after a 4 year wait (hey, it's been a busy millennium).

The movie is obviously about Muhammad Ali, following two stages of his boxing career. I'm not sure how and why they picked the stages they did, but for me it was just way too disjointed. I'm not saying the movie was bad, but I feel it would have been a lot better with a stronger structure. The movie basically features his first title fight win, a couple of other fights and the infamous "Rumble in the Jungle". It focuses heavily on his relationships, his religion and his fight against the draft. He's no doubt a fascinating character study, but the movie just seemed to miss the boat a bit.

The cast is solid with Will Smith as Ali, putting in a decent performance, Jamie Foxx and Jon Voight. Michael Mann's directing is outstanding, highlighted by some excellent fight scenes. Worth seeing, but if you're a big Ali fan you may be a bit disappointed.

Ali is the movie about the story of Muhammad Ali. It's about his life as a boxer and him a bit in the political sphere. It shows his relationship with Malcolm X and how the two influenced each other. That mainly takes place in the beginning before it's about Ali on his own. It really shows how Ali really made a difference in the world. It's pretty long and does try to have a lot in it. I feel like it'll be better if they divided everything up and possibly separated into different movies or a show with several episodes. At the end, I felt it was going a little too long and I want to be done with it. As a show or something, it can cover all the information covered in this movie and even more and us the audience could take as much as we can at a time. Even with that, I find this as a good historical film nevertheless and does a good encapsulating Black History.

This movie wasn't the Greatest, but it was good. Of course Muhammad Ali is a very interesting person, so there is a lot of material to work with when writing a script in his life. The biggest problem is deciding what to keep out. Many people (probably non-boxing fans) think there was too many fight scenes and that the movie dragged. It didn't seem that way to me. The pace seemed to be fast enough. You also have to remember that since Ali fought in an era of great heavyweights, he naturally would have a lot of important fights. In fact one criticism of the movie that I do have is that it ended after the George foreman fight and before his 3rd fight with his greatest rival, Joe Frazier. His 3rd fight with Frazier was probably the greatest heavyweight fight of all time. Perhaps more importantly, it was an crucial chapter in a great rivalry and told a lot about each man. In fact there was a book written recently just about this fight. Will Smith did a better job that expected. He has come along way from that "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" crap. The supporting cast, especially Jon Voight as Howard Cosell, was excellent. Ron Silver as trainer Angelo Dundee was good, but didn't get enough camera time. One thing that the movie could have done better was show how Ali had grown, both as a boxer and as a man. In his early 20's he was a fun loving kid. After he joined the Nation of Islam, he gradually became more angry. Then after he left the Nation of Islam he started to be funny again, though in a slightly more mature way than when he was young. It sill puzzles me that many people thought that he was serious when he would go into one of his bragging routines. He was just trying to build up interest in the fight. Fortunately, most people knew he was kidding. As a boxer he changes as well. When he was young, he just his his phenomenal athletic gifts to beat opponents. As he aged and his skills declined, he used his heart and his brain to win. The movie really only touches on these things. Still, over all it was interesting and worth renting. I give it a 7 out of 10.

This film just has so many things wrong with it starting from the very opening sequence. In that sequence we see Cassius Clay preparing for his upcoming title fight with Sonny Liston in Miami. While seeing him prepare, we see Liston destroying an opponent in the ring. We also see the hints of racial tension going on in southern USA, 1964. The entire sequence lasts approximately 8-10 minutes. It is long, drawn-out, and boring. It's the perfect opening sequence for this film.

That's because that's exactly how this movie feels : long, drawn-out, and boring.

How could someone make a film about Muhammad Ali's life & manage to make the film boring ?!?!? Here's some ways : have long (and unnecessarily drawn-out) scenes (ie : the dance scene where he meets his first wife), or simply have recreations of now-famous media scenes (the Cosell scenes ; the pre-fight scenes). I understand the need for these scenes, but I would rather watch the actual scenes than a recreations of them.

By concentrating on such aspects of Ali's life, Michael Mann totally bypasses what I feel could have been more interesting aspects of Ali's life. For instance, I would have liked to see more of the conversation between the newly-named Ali & his father, as they argue on the significance of the "Clay" name. That scene had the potential to be very revealing. I also would have liked to have seen more of Ali's first visit to Africa, when he went on his Muslim pilgrimage. Instead, the whole event is used as a way to say goodbye to Malcolm X in the film. To me, that whole part of the film could have been very significant. What did Ali see when he went on the pilgrimage ? How did it affect his life ? Did he recall any of Africa when he went back there to fight Foreman ? We'll never know from this film.

I would like to have seen more scenes such as him and Joe Frazier in the car together. That was one of my favorite scenes in the movie. It gave me a chance to see more of something that is impossible for me to ever see : an actual private conversation between Ali & Frazier.

But there are tons of other things that are left out of the film as well. For instance, after Ali loses to Frazier in the first fight, we don't really even get a chance to see how his first loss as a professional affects his life. This is Muhammad Ali ! How did it feel to him to lose for the first time in his life ? Eventhough Ali played it off in the media as if it didn't affect him, did it in reality ? We'll never know from this film.

The pacing of the film was just terrible. As I said, the opening sequence was long, drawn-out, and boring - and was the perfect opening sequence for this film. That's because it is a microcosm of the entire film.

You want bad pacing ? Try this : It actually took the entire first 55 minutes of this film for Cassius Clay to actually defeat Sonny Liston ! The opening sequence was all about him prepping for the fight, and it continued on to the weigh in of the fight, and the prefight comments etc. Then the fight itself was actually quite boring.

More bad pacing : The film goes into the mid-sixties in a daze. It doesn't really start to show anything until finally Ali has his now-famous interview with Cosell. In this scene Cosell tells him behind the scene how the government is worried of black militant groups. That is when I felt the film MIGHT start to become more interesting. I looked at my watch to see that nearly 2 HOURS had passed in the film !

Even MORE bad pacing : Ali gets his fight with Frazier. Ali loses the fight. But we as the audience never really get to see the true level of brutality of that fight. Between that and the "Thrilla In Manila" (which was completely dropped from the film) we never really get a chance to see the true damage that those two fighters endured and delivered in their fights against one another. Instead, we see glimpses of the fight, Ali's knockdown, and a few other aspects. But really it just goes straight to the next scene after that, which has Ali & his crew watching Foreman defeat Frazier. (Like I said, no concern is given on how Ali's first loss affected his psyche). After that, it is straight to Ali-Foreman. Full "Rumble In The Jungle" : Don King, Africa, Zaire etc etc.

This was actually probably the best part of the film. The film takes on a more "personal" look at Ali when he is prepping for the fight in Zaire. We get to see him connecting with the people. Again, I would have liked to see if he recalled anything from his previous visit to Africa - but that was not to be.

Even worst, the Foreman fight managed to look boring ! Still, while the fight itself looked boring, I will admit that Michael Mann did a brilliant job with showing the now-famous Foreman knockout punches by Ali. The angles he uses are different with each punch, and it is a very good perspective.

Other aspects of this film bothered me. For instance, was Ali REALLY on the phone with someone who was with MLK a second before he was assassinated ? That seems far-fetched to me.

The only thing keeping this film from being a complete waste of film is Will Smith's performance here. Smith does indeed do everything that one can hope from someone who is portraying Ali. However, when you get right down to it, I think there are simply some people who it is more exciting to watch in a documentary or biography, rather than a Hollywood film production.

So with that in mind, watch "When We Were Kings" for anything you would want to know about "The Rumble in the Jungle" or HBO's documentary on Ali-Frazier I. If you want a more interesting perspective on Ali's life in general, then watch ESPN's documentary on him - they didn't name him the Athlete of the Century for nothing.

I love a good biography film and Ali is at times masterful in many ways and portrays all the parts of Muhammed Ali, not just the dazzling boxing life he led which is often used above his deep inner anguish at the prejudice in America.

Will Smith is the only person in my opinion who could've played Muhammed, you can tell that he really wanted to play the part just by looking at his actions throughout the movie; it's deeply obvious that he's studied Muhammed in depth and this worked wonders on screen. While the fight scenes are not on the same level as perhaps the Rocky films this should not be downplayed as they're excellently executed with a beautiful blend of action, excellent music and banter between Ali and also between Ali and his own mind.

Overall i'm glad that this movie didn't focus on Ali's boxing career, moreover i'm glad that it highlighted his personal life, it's trials and tribulations and it's anguish at the events going on around him. Certain scenes like Ali running through the shanty towns of Kinshasa really evoke Ali's feelings for the oppression around him and how he's become a hero of freedom and independence to them. It truly is remarkable. My only quaam with the film is that it is in certain places slightly vague in it's descriptions of characters. For example, if a person (how this could happen, i do not know) had never heard of Ali or his story then they would be mystified at some of the characters because little is explained or highlighted about some characters throughout the film. This is as expected however, because the makers clearly had the idea that everyone watching would have a vague idea of who each person is, i mean, how could you not in a sense?

But other than that, a great film and an accurate biography. Well done, I recommend it!

First of all, this movie is not as bad as others have said. The boxing scenes were fantastic and more realistic then any of the Rocky's were. You can't say the story writing is bad when it is an autobiographical picture either. There was only so much they could put into it. Considering I was like 11 years old when Ali won his 3rd belt, I remember him being a great fighter that bounced around a lot. He was ugly to watch for the most part but effective. And the movie caught that. Will Smith did a great job too getting buff and mimicking his moves in the ring. But the movie was uneven and a little long so my suggestion is to have fun with the actor's portrayals in this movie.

Watching 'Ali' was like surfing -- several long waits of nothing happening interrupted by a few incredible rushes.

Mann got many things right: the tone, the balance of a complicated life, and great work from the actors. But there are many frustrating slow scenes. I looked at my watch twice in the first half-hour of the movie, and twice during the ten-minute sequence of Ali running in Kishasha, which was a self-indulgent piece of under-edited crud. "Look, everybody, it's REALLY Africa!"

We aren't allowed to detect the drama of this moment, we're going to have every single emotion forced through Will Smith's face and body language. Too much. Exploring character does not mean devoting several hundred frames of film to a tight focus on the protagonist's tortured features. In Ali's case, much of that attempt to show him thinking could have been skipped.

There were several much better scenes demonstrating character -- the byplay with Cosell, a fascination with termites on TV while Malcolm X has come to tell him something important, or walking away, momentarily silencing his motor mouth in bitter anger at someone else's lack of confidence.

Other pacing oddities riddle the movie. We get to see every single bullet coming straight at Malcolm X's POV, but we're at a medium distance when Ali publicly voices his political concerns about the Vietnam war, wrapped up in one 20-second news conference. This is the emotional center of the film, and all of a sudden we're ten rows back?

Timing issues aside, Will Smith finally fulfills the dramatic promise he made years ago in "Six Degrees of Separation," living into a complex character who is both charismatic and human. I haven't seen all the competing performances this year, but his could easily be in the top five. Great job on sustaining the soft Kentucky cadence. Most of the supporting performances are excellent as well.

But for a character study (with good places to hit fast-forward), you could wait for the rental. There are not enough visuals in here to make you rush to the big screen. A couple of the lighting choices are overdone (wow...everyone's BLUE!). I thought the boxing sequences were effective; Mann puts you right in the middle of the action without the cheat of too much slo-mo. But they would be nothing unusual for people who already watch a lot of boxing, and for people who don't like or watch boxing, it will be just as painful as you always thought.

Final hint: if you're taking anyone with you under 40, sit together ahead of time for half an hour and review the history highlights of Ali's life. Without that, you might not keep up with the story at all...my 14-year-old nephew couldn't even figure out who had won the Ali-Frazier fight!

ALI - an eye opener on the orchestrated events in American History, during the rise of one man becoming Ali. This is a must see motion picture bio-pic for people of all walks of life. I've been a fan of Michael Mann since Miami Vice, again he out does himself with 'Ali.' A job well done to Vickie Thomas for putting together such a wonderful supporting cast. Will Smith thick-skinned and willing his way through the story with total greatness. Once is not enough, I must see two more times.

Doyle Ray Taylor - FAN

"Ali" is a powerful docudrama, with some major flaws. Though the performances are uniformly excellent (particularly Will Smith in the title role), the film does not have a third act. It simply ends, not bothering to tie up the many plot strands it presents. Additionally, there is a lot of material that feels impertinent to the film, not the least of which is the extra-marital affair Ali engages in during the "Rumble in the Jungle" sequence. I actually feel that "When We Were Kings," the documentary about Ali, was a more successful piece because it was limited to the coverage of the "Rumble in the Jungle." "Ali" feels at times that its reach exceeds its grasp, and at others like it doesn't even try to reach very far. Frustrating, because there are so many good moments in the film and yet they fail to add up to anything remotely as powerful as the impact that Muhammad Ali has had and continues to have on our world.

ALI - an eye opener on the orchestrated events in American History, during the rise of one man becoming Ali. This is a must see motion picture bio-pic for people of all walks of life. I've been a fan of Michael Mann since Miami Vice, again he out does himself with 'Ali.' A job well done to Vickie Thomas for putting together such a wonderful supporting cast. Will Smith thick-skinned and willing his way through the story with total greatness. Once is not enough, I must see two more times.

Doyle Ray Taylor - FAN

"Ali" was long and a little slow, but just remember that it is an autobiography of Ali. He went through some slow times in his life that we had to capture as an audience. With this being said there is a downside that I did not like. The movie was 2.5 hours long and they still managed to leave years of his life out that was important. I hated when the words came up and said how Ali managed to loose his title and regain it again in the following 10 years. Its like they left us hanging for a part 2. I wanted to see why he retired and what about his family and what he did after boxing. At least in words at the end if anything. We all sat through the credits to see if they would show Ali, etc. but they didn't.