Floats like a tank and stings like a banana...

Rating: 4/10 (26 July 2003)

ALL MY REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS. EVERY ONE OF THEM.

Will Smith playing Muhammad Ali makes about as much sense as a solar powered flashlight. There are so many other actors who could portray Ali better than Smith: Ving Rhames, Morris Chestnut, or Kirsten Dunst. Muhammad Ali's entire career and legacy was over before I was even born, so all my knowledge on one of history's greatest figures came strictly from books, television and word of mouth. I eagerly anticipated the movie, but wasn't looking forward to Will Smith.
What the movie is, specifically, is frozen crap on a stick. Michael Mann was obviously high off uncut sawdust during production, because this dung fest of a movie doesn't even try. Just look at the horrific opening sequence, when Ali trains to the credits. The movie rapidly whizzes through his humble beginnings, which are the most important elements of a biography movie, especially one featuring a larger than life character. We never even meet Cassius Clay; the movie begins with him already as Ali. We never learn what life was like for him as a kid growing up, we never learn how he hooked up with The Nation Of Islam, hell-- we never even learn how he got into boxing. What were his motivations? Who were his inspirations? We meet Ali's dad for all of 2 seconds (he's about 8 years older than Ali, by the way.) And Bundini Brown's character, played by Jamie Foxx, is introduced out of nowhere. When you watch the movie, just take note at how rapid the first 30 minutes of the movie are. The film just plain sucks.
And when the movie finally does slow down, it sloooowwws down-- and stretches out the insignificant parts of Ali's life and rushes over the important ones. Did we really need all that Malcolm X junk? Didn't Spike Lee already make that movie? And didn't Spike Lee also play Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" when Malcolm was killed? And shouldn't Michael Mann be getting a summons in the mail from Spike any day now? Also, check out how Muhammad Ali's wives come and go. They just pop on the screen without warning, nor introduction, and as soon as you realize what's going on, they have vanished, as if David Blaine stepped in as director.

As for Will's acting, it should not be praised. Everybody in the cast does a better job acting than he does, including Jeffrey Wright as photographer Howard Bingham. In this movie, Bingham barely has 2 lines, he just repeatedly (and repeatedly) takes snapshots and smiles (okay, he's a photographer, we get it!!!) Will Smith's southern accent comes and goes, and gets hilarious early on in the movie. Instead of Ali, he sounds a lot like Snagglepuss. He even says "Exit, stage left," but that scene was cut from the movie. Jon Voight was nominated for an Oscar for playing Alfred E. Newman. And I sincerely believe Jamie Foxx may hold the title as the world's least funny funnyman, and in this movie he shamelessly steals George Carlin's famous joke of how he never had a 10, but one night had five 2's.
There is another part where Ali goes to Africa to face George Foreman in the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" match. Michael Mann decides he wants to show Will Smith running for 7 hours, surrounded by screaming young fans. This scene goes on and on, and by the time it was over, I was shocked to notice I had gray hair and a receding hairline. Thanks a lot Michael Mann, I missed about 25 years of life.
This movie is terrible and was a big disappointment. If you want to watch a good movie about boxing, I suggest you rent D.C. Cab, Leprechaun, or Jack Frost. These films are all great and at least you'll be able to follow what's going on. They all have characters you will care about and feel sympathy for. Ali has none of these elements, and if you happen to watch it while you're in your 60's, you just might wake up dead once it's over.
* star out of 5.