Hard to believe this undisciplined film is from Michael Mann

Rating: 5/10 (30 April 2005)

I saw "Ali" the other night- Smith is very good- film is just OK. Directing is unremarkable-to-junior college film 101. Interesting that Mario van Pebbles pulls off playing Malcolm X- a good but too restrained job of it. Guy playing Howard Cossell is cartoonish- largely due to the appliances on his mug to try and get him looking like HC- however the friendship between Ali and HC comes through. Smith deserves the Oscar nom he got. The essence of the boxer comes through, but the entire story is still awaiting lensing. Film should have been helmed by someone else. Perhaps since Spike Lee did such a good job on his X biopic, he'd have been a better choice. You won't be wasting your time watching this though.