He may have been the greatest, but the movie wasn't

Rating: 7/10 (29 October 2005)

Finally got around to seeing this after a 4 year wait (hey, it's been a busy millennium).
The movie is obviously about Muhammad Ali, following two stages of his boxing career. I'm not sure how and why they picked the stages they did, but for me it was just way too disjointed. I'm not saying the movie was bad, but I feel it would have been a lot better with a stronger structure. The movie basically features his first title fight win, a couple of other fights and the infamous "Rumble in the Jungle". It focuses heavily on his relationships, his religion and his fight against the draft. He's no doubt a fascinating character study, but the movie just seemed to miss the boat a bit.
The cast is solid with Will Smith as Ali, putting in a decent performance, Jamie Foxx and Jon Voight. Michael Mann's directing is outstanding, highlighted by some excellent fight scenes. Worth seeing, but if you're a big Ali fan you may be a bit disappointed.