Ali, his life and the history of racism in America

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2002)

I disagree with the previous comments. Ali is a powerful biography that puts his life into an historical context. Through the story of his life we learn about the history of racism in America; from the civil rights movement to Malcolm X and the growth of the Black Muslim Movement. He is shown to be a quiet force in the evolving politics.
Will Smith, even bulked up, is no heavyweight! When they put him on the scale and said 218, we laughed; otherwise he did a very credible job. I watched the film with several teenagers who knew little about Mohammed Ali and I was impressed how they "got it". They were Will Smith fans going in and came out talking and asking questions about Ali and the sixties.