Good, but not The Greatest

Rating: 6/10 (24 May 2002)

Do not expect to see a boxing movie, expect to see a movie about a boxer. And not only about any boxer but probably the greatest boxer of all times and also a great civil rights fighter, probably one of the most important and influential ones, which at least surprised me when I saw Ali.
There is not a lot of boxing in Ali, but the boxing you will see is ultra realistic (forget the Rocky-style boxing, blocking with the face) and I found the scenes very exciting and well done. There is also a good assassination scene.
The combining of sound and pictures is brilliant in Ali and it shows already in the beginning, good enough to give you shivers and the music works as an ignitor of feelings in the same way as in a gospel church.

Even though the movie is more about Ali himself than his achievements in the ring, we will not follow him for more than about ten years and (unfortunately) there is nothing about the beginning of his career or what happened afterwards (maybe just as well).
The acting is absolutely first class, Will Smith is phenomenal, which shows that a good director like Mann (remember Heat, the movie that among other things contains the best robbery scene of all movies, except The Long Riders) can bring out hidden talent. Of Course Jon Voight is very good, but he is always good even if the movie is not (Anaconda) and when the movie is good (i.e. Runaway Train) he is remarkable.
I would have preferred an even longer movie with more boxing and maybe a little shorter scenes from Zaire prior to the Rumble in the Jungle, except the scene where Ali is moved by the support from the common people in the street of Zaire, which I found emotional and important for the movie.
I was disappointed that we didn't get too see the whole match against Joe Frazier and nothing of what happened in the rings after Zaire. I also think that it would have been beneficial for the excitement if Mann had chosen to show us how Foreman crushed his opponents prior to the Ali fight.
My rating is a weak 8 / 10. Younger people and those who only want action will be disappointed. Otherwise I think Ali can interest the mature viewer even if he/she is not a boxing enthusiast.