Ali (DVD, 2002)

Ali is a substantial biopic that follows the career of Cassius Clay aka Muhammad Ali from 1964--when he took the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston--to 1974, when he took it back from George Foreman in Zaire. Along the way, the film looks at Ali's three marriages and his problematic involvement with the Nation of Islam, which inspires him to change his name, get rid of his first wife (Jada Pinkett Smith) and turn his back on old ally Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles).
For a fiercely independent person, Michael Mann's Ali has a knack of alienating those who genuinely love him, while chasing the approval of dubious father figures such as the Reverend Elijah Mohamed, Don King and President Mobutu. Although Ali is not a hagiography--Mann urging Will Smith to get into the many layers of Ali, from the mouthy public face to the quieter private person--the question of whether either of the Liston fights were fixed isn't even raised, and the fall of Ali's career is left out in favour of a climax that draws heavily from the documentary When We Were Kings. Mann is as interested in the politics as he is in the sport (which leaves actors like Ron Silver as the coach short-changed), offering occasional cutaways to the government spies and plants in the black movements. More knockout blows are offered in the speeches than in the ring. --Kim Newman

This movie is by far the best film that Will Smith has ever starred in. I have watched it numerous times and still find the movie inspiring and entertaining.

Great movie...He portrayed Ali well. Good intertainment. I love watching Will Smith movies...I usually get into his character as much as he does.

The movie is a great reenactment of Muhammad Ali life, and Will Smith did a great job portraying Muhammad in the movie.

It was good but its like combining a story about someone famous for example walk the line. and any other boxing movie. The movie kept my attention, but it was not original. If it wasent for Will Smith the movie would have been sub par at best. If you are looking for something sublime this is not the option I would go with. I give it a thumbs up. Good rental.