Ali [DVD] [2002] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

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.

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