Barnes & Noble

Not quite as flamboyant as its subject, this engrossing biographical film offers a serious, thoughtful look at legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, whose appearance and mannerisms are replicated to an uncanny degree by 2002 Academy Award nominee Will Smith. Ali doesn’t attempt to chronicle the champ’s entire life; it focuses on a ten-year period, beginning in 1964, when Ali (still known as Cassius Clay) wins the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston, and ending after the famous 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" with George Foreman. Ali’s relationships with confidant Drew "Bundini" Brown (played by Jamie Foxx), sportscaster Howard Cosell (Jon Voight), activist Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles), and trainer Angelo Dundee (Ron Silver) are never completely spelled out, and the primary women in his life during that period -- played by Jada Pinkett Smith and Nona Gaye -- also get short shrift from the screenwriters. This elliptical approach might have stymied a lesser director, but Michael Mann (The Insider) manages to capture Ali’s essence even as he skips over interesting facets of the champ’s career. Mann’s Ali is not merely the spontaneous jokester or the comically arrogant self-promoter many people remember: He’s also seen as subdued and meditative, and deeply committed to his religious beliefs even after his Nation of Islam allies turn against him. Smith, who bulked up considerably for the role, is quite convincing in the scenes re-creating Ali’s famous title bouts, but Ali isn’t a boxing movie. It’s the fascinating story of a man who both changed his times and was changed by them. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Notoriously obsessive director Michael Mann and star Will Smith devoted nearly two years and over 100 million dollars from the coffers of Columbia Pictures and other financiers to creating this biography of boxing great Muhammad Ali, which focuses on the ten-year period of 1964-1974. In that time, the brash, motor-mouthed athlete quickly dominates his sport, meets and marries his first wife (Jada Pinkett-Smith), converts to Islam (changing his name from Cassius Clay), and defies the United States government by refusing to submit to military conscription for duty in Vietnam. His world heavyweight champion title thus stripped from him entirely for political reasons, the champ sets about to win back his crown, culminating in a legendary unification bout against George Foreman (Charles Shufford) in Zaire, dubbed the "Rumble in the Jungle." In his travels, Ali becomes a symbol of power to disenfranchised African-Americans everywhere and meets such luminaries as Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles), Martin Luther King Jr. (LeVar Burton) and Maya Angelou (Martha Edgerton). Ali features an all-star supporting cast that includes Jon Voight, Giancarlo Esposito, Jamie Foxx, Nona Gaye, Michael Michele, Joe Morton, Paul Rodriguez, Ron Silver, Mykelti Williamson, and Jeffrey Wright. Karl Williams

Village Voice

Filled with vivid cameos and set to an infectious soul beat that effectively covers the underlying hum of calculated precision. J. Hoberman

New York Times

Mann's first movie with feeling; his overwhelming love of its subject will turn audiences into exuberant, thrilled fight crowds. Elvis Mitchell

Product Details

• UPC: 043396090569
• Source: SONY PICTURES
• Region Code: 1
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Français, Español
• Time: 2:45:00
• Sales Rank: 18,647

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Ali / Girlfight
• Ali / Girlfight

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