Ali

Rating:
Summary: Ambitious project
Review: Mohammed Ali is bigger than life and portraying him in a movie is a daunting task. Will Smith probably comes as close to looking, sounding and acting like Ali as a person could, but there is always a sense that the movie falls a little short of catching the essence of the man. Events in Ali's life unfold in the movie, but there is never much depth of explanation about why things happened as they did. John Voight is superb as Howard Coselle and the movie paints a close relationship between Cosell and Ali which is belied by the verbal barbs they always shot at each other on tv. There are so many important events in Ali's life that if must have been a nightmare deciding what to include. Although it has a 2 1/2 hour running time, the movie seems to end rather abruptly. Despite its flaws, Ali is an entertaining film and does hold the viewer's attention.

Rating:
Summary: failed my expectations
Review: this was not good at all. just a dumb excuse for a docudrama. its so slow even i could write it better. its really the worst movie ever.

Rating:
Summary: Where's the rest of the story?
Review: Ali is basically an incomplete film. If you want to consider it a time capsule of how Ali reached the pinnacle of his greatness, then you would be correct.

However, there was much left to be told in the story. I think I would have wanted to see this film capture all of Ali's good and bad moments. A lot of build-up but a little anti-climactic given how much of his story was omitted.

Rating:
Summary: Skip this one
Review: Not having seen ALI on the big screen, I am confined to the letter box mini-vision of the DVD. Maybe that is one of the reasons this movie just doesn't come across. It is long, takes forever to get started, promises a great story, but delivers very little of the life of the title character. Yes, the assassination of Malcom X is arresting, yes, the footwork in the ring is well photographed, yes, the makeup artists created a wax figure of Howard Cosell out of Jon Voight's face. But this film seems to be about a man in retrospect, which leaves out all the wonderful madness that made Ali such a vibrantly alive figure. Too much is just left out (the first wife beautifully protrayed by Jada Pickett Smith just drops out of sight without any explanation, the "beginnings of Rap" are ignored, the blustery buffoonery of a really charismatic man is dusted under the carpet), as though we are only to see Ali as the second coming of Christ. Overly long, poorly edited, this slight film just goes on and on and on.......

Rating:
Summary: just what I expected
Review: I Respect Will Smith&He is a Money Machine in HollyWood with His Overall Track-Record.but Muhammad Ali is something Special to Me that you gotta bring so much to.I Knew a Film that only captured 10 years couldn't possbily be able to fully tell.I think Spike Lee would have done wonders for this film.this film was long&Boring in many spots.too slick for it's own good.Will Smith did a Technical good Job but The RawNess&Soul were missing&it hurts his overall presentation to me.we needed more Flaw&Edge&it wasn't there.thinking back to last September&the Oscars if Will&Mann had have truly captured this film right then they would have canceled Denzel&Russell out at the Oscars.because Muhammad Ali is more than a Sports Figure: He also Represents the Power of America&Strength to Transcend so Much.And Ali dealt with alot&it wasn't so not long ago He was Hated.this film made Jamie Foxx seem like a Alright Actor.and that takes alot of Work.Jon Vought didn't measure up to me as Howard Cosell.ALI to Me deserves a Week Long Mini-Series.there is alot of Bases to Cover.and only 10 years&side stepping over things doesn't do it full Justice.Will&Mann should have taken a Cue from Spike Lee when he did Malcolm X: Spike got it Right.

Rating:
Summary: Smith never gets that spark that made Ali great
Review: It was painful watching the talented Will Smith try and transform himself into Ali. He REALLY tried and came close, but there was just that sparkle that Ali had in his eyes that Smith didn't have, and it was always obvious that Smith was acting -- and acting as hard as he could -- to get into the Ali character. I give him credit for taking on a living legend. However, this bio-pic just skims the surface of Ali's life and never delves into his heart and soul. His refusal to be inducted into the Army and subsequent trial, loss of his title, etc., are all documented, but there's never any real, specific reason why Ali took such a strong stand. ....but his anti-war stance and refusal to be drafted just don't "click." During the aftermath of his conviction and subsequent appeals, all that he's concerned with is his next fight. The pacing of the movie is a bit slow, and there's never any explanation why Ali was so close to Malcolm X. Also, when Ali fights Frazier and Foreman, the actors playing those roles are BUFFED. By comparison, Smith (who supposedly put on bulk for this role) looks puny and wouldn't have stood a chance if the fights had been real. This is an OK movie, and it BARELY gets three stars, mainly for Smith's obvious effort to get into the Ali character. But, overall, Ali is and always will be The Greatest and that's a role no one can fill...

Rating:
Summary: ALI IS STILL THE GREATEST
Review: Will Smith was FABULOUS and was robbed for the oscar and so was Mr. Ali once again. I own over 1,000 movies, have rented thousands more and grew up in the era of Mr. Ali. I have watched countless docu-dramas of many people and this was by far the best! I have watched all his fights over and over. I will never cease to be amazed by him. This film and Will Smith came as close to reality as possible in the time frame allotted. There were so many realistic gestures by Will along with the VOICE, it was spooky!I am not familiar enough with the Muslim faith and the facts of Mr. Ali's private life to criticize the over all portrayal of him in the movie, but I will always admire the stand he took against the draft and his reasons for it. I am a disabled, caucasian Viet Nam vet. I also admire what he means to African-Americans, Africans and many millions like me world wide. Yes, people will nit pick about minor flaws in the movie, but how do you ever do justice to a man who is still a living legend?????

Rating:
Summary: WHERE ARE THE SPECAIL FEATURES
Review: I SAW THIS MOVIE AT THE THEATERS AND I LOVED IT ALOT. I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RELEASE OF THE DVD, BUT I'M A BIT DISAPPOINTED THAT THE ALI DVD HAS NO SPECAIL FEATURES AND I DON'T THINK I WILL PURCHASE THE DVD FOR THAT VERY REASON. THE SPECAIL FEATURES ARE WHY I BOUGHT A DVD PLAYER IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Rating:
Summary: This is truely..... "The Greatest."
Review: ALI

This film is everyhting you thought it would be and then some. I am 20 years old and did not have the plessure to live through the "Ali years." Although I have seen many sports documentaries and have read several books about the man, no one film or book captures the mythical essence of Ali as this movie does.

It is true that it would have been nice to see the young years when Clay grew up in Louisville, KY (just 30 miles from me,) and competed in the Olympics for the gold medal. (Which he then tossed into the Ohio River.) But, this film is about the man, the myth, and the legend. When the film is viewed like this, it is more understandable.

There are some of the most powerful moments in a "sports" film ever here. Being a serious fan of "Rudy," "Hoosiers," (I love Gene Hackman and I am from Indiana,) and "Rocky", I can say that the moment were Ali gets up out of the chair in the 8th to knock out Foreman after the now classic "rope a dope" form was used to wear him out is simplely uplifting. Is it correct to the actual event? No, I have the HBO DVD special to prove it. But it doesn't matter. Like I said, this film is about Ali, not the history of what Ali did.

Some things that make this movie special: They really hit each other. No "Rocky" high uppercuts that don't even graze Mr. T or Apollo Creed. Jamie Foxx is a brillant actor and extremely funny. "I'm just a black jew who can't read or write and that's half drunk." The fact that Will Smith and his wife make a love scene covencing because they really and truely are IN LOVE!... Howard is played brillantly in this movie. You can't tell that it's an actor!... "And Foreman goes DOWN HARD to the mat!..." That call makes my spine tingle.

The most powerful moment of all is when Malcom X is shot and killed. When I saw it in the theature, everyone was silent and teary-eyed. That may be the best thing about this movie and ultimately, Ali. Black, white, yellow, red, purple, you can fill things in this movie for the times they lived in, for the things they went through, and for Ali the man, the myth, the legend, himself.

If you never see another movie about sports in your life, see this. Will Smith is stunning. He IS ALI for due purposes. The acting is great and the film as a whole is stunning. Just brillant.........

Rating:
Summary: floats like a butterfly....
Review: I went to this movie with mixed expectations. Sure, Will Smith is one of my favorite actors, but Ali is one of my least favorite sports celebrities. That said, this movie was very impressive. The acting was incredible. Will Smith was robbed of the best actor, and Jon Voigt does an incredible job as Howard Cosell. This movie does float around a little, and it's not perfectly paced, but it is great. Will Smith's performace is perfect. This DVD will have only a trailer; therefore, it may not be worth purchasing.