Michael Mann does it again...

Rating: 7/10 (6 January 2002)

Knowing that this was a film directed by Michael Mann, I had plans to see it, but I wasn't expecting to be impressed as much as with Mann's 3 previous films (Last of the Mohicans-1992, Heat-1995, and The Insider-1999) ALI completely blew me away. The camera angles and cinematography used in many parts of this film were reminiscent of those used in The Insider, which added to the overall atmosphere of both movies. The reason why I was not thrilled with this movie at the beginning was because I am not the biggest Will Smith fan in the world. But he did an excellent job portraying Muhammad Ali and will most likely receive a nomination for Best Actor at the Oscars. Mario van Peebles also did an excellent job as Malcolm X, and his assassination scene is possibly the most intense part of the movie. If you go see this movie, I hope you will not be disappointed. If you appreciate artistic vision and great character development, you will enjoy ALI. Michael Mann is by far my favorite director in the movie industry. Last of the Mohicans is my favorite movie of all time, and The Insider makes it a close 2nd or 3rd. Heat and now ALI are also near the top of my list of movies I will enjoy watching for many years to come.