A confused and flawed mess of a film

Rating: 1/10 (15 January 2002)

I have never seen a clearer case of misdirection than this film. The final cut looks like the film was tugged in a thousand different directions once it hit the editing room, and thus has no real direction. There is no real sense of time in the film either, and we are left to guess just how much time has passed since the last scene that we saw. Those who know the story of Ali might enjoy this film as a highlight reel of part of his life, but those who are unfamiliar with the subject matter will most likely be left confused. I can't recommend this film at all, and can only hope that Michael Mann will choose to completely reedit this film someday as it is probably the greatest performance Will Smith will ever give!