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Amazon.co.uk Review
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
DVD Description
DVD Special Features:
Disc One:
Theatrical Cut of the film presented in anamorphic widescreen (aspect ratio 2.35:1)
DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio
Disc Two:
HBO "Making Of" special
Behind-the-Scenes
Cast & Crew soundbites
Trailer
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE GREATEST,
By
This review is from: Ali [DVD] [2002] (DVD)
In a cynical world where we seem to delight in finding fault with our political leaders and role models, Ali stands out as a truly legendary example of man against the system. George Bernard Shaw wrote, "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."This film shows that Ali was far from reasonable. He made exacting demands of himself, which on occasion he fails to meet. Will Smith portrays Ali the legend with dignity and sensitivity, giving us an insight to the man, his motives, loves and hates. In an Oscar winning role, Will Smith becomes Ali and exudes the trademark charisma, strength and power that Ali was so famous for. The film is touching showing our hero flaws and all: the difficult relationship with his father; the rise to early stardom; the fall from grace at the hands of the American Senate; and his remarkable come back to defeat the powerhouse George Foreman in the sensational Rumble in the Jungle. The film, unlike many Hollywood productions, makes no attempt to romanticise the life of the greatest heavyweight champion the world has ever seen. Will Smith portrays a womanising Ali who appears to struggle with his Muslim beliefs, and yet is mindful of the Nation of Islam's hypocrisy that comes across in the film. There is also a hint of things to come when Ali confronts Don King following another successful defence of his heavyweight title. Neither a love of boxing, Will Smith, or Ali are prerequisites for owning this film. It is a touching, inspirational and entertaining film that strives to remain historically accurate, whilst condensing some of Ali's brightest moments into the available viewing time. Funny, thrilling and emotionally engaging, the film is a must buy and an essential addition to any DVD collection.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Will Smith is a revellation,
By
This review is from: Ali [DVD] [2002] (DVD)
There some pretty challenging roles for an actor to play and trying to bring the energy and sheer presence of Muhammad Ali to the screen must rank with the toughest. Yet Smith handles the task admirably and lifts an otherwise ordinary film into reaching distance of an Oscar. Smith earned his second nomination for his portrayal of Ali in the defining decade of his life 1964-74 in which Ali bookends his conversion to Islam and his refusal to accept the draft, with title wins over Sonny Liston and George Foreman.The film plays like a documentary and judged on this; it would be easy to recommend the Oscar winning "When We Were Kings" - after all,if you want Ali, why not get the real one. Smith, who trained for a year to pack on the weight and to look convincing as a fighter is electric in the scenes when he does the former champ off to a tee in both his looks and diction - his interviews with a straight-faced Howard Cosell (Jon Voigt)are vintage stuff, with the spontaniety of a genuine ad-libber. In the quieter moments he struggles a little bit, almost as though he is moving from Ali setpiece to Ali set piece. You'll definitely watch this for performance if not content
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent,
By
This review is from: Ali [DVD] [2002] (DVD)
I don't think I've ever seen Will Smith act as good as this. He has the mannerisms and turn of phrase of Ali so spot on it's spooky. This film looks at Ali's rise to glory, his religious discovery and development and his relationships with his wife and lovers, contemporary journalists (which provide some of the best scenes in the film) and with other fighters and the public. This is a long film, but doesn't feel like it at all. This is one of those films I am able to watch again and again and i highly recommend it.
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