Who needs the
Fresh Prince when you have the Greatest
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Although it
lacks deep insight, Michael Mann's account of legendary boxer Muhammad
Ali is still compelling.
Danny Graydon
It captures the
considerable impact and charisma of the man who literally punched
his way into the American consciousness.
As Ali, Will
Smith is vastly impressive, bulked-up and carrying Ali's mannerisms
in and out of the ring with clarity. He carries the boxer's cocky
charm brilliantly and, in a scene where he jogs down an African
street followed by hundreds of chanting locals, is sheer inspiration.
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| Sock it
to me one more time |
Focusing on the
ten-year period that began with Ali's first heavyweight triumph
in 1964, Mann uses Ali's out-of-ring struggles against the US government
and conversion to Islam as a lens in which to view the tremendous
social/political upheavals of the time.
With so much
to cram in to 159 minutes, Mann is hampered by merely expressing
the bare facts and side-stepping crucial information (his unanimously
overturned criminal conviction is never explained, for example).
As such, characters
are left underdeveloped and subplots left dangling. With Ali himself,
Mann's attempts at humanising - his philandering is quickly glossed
over - are all too easily exchanged for Ali The Hero.
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| Getting
wiggy with it |
Yet Mann dutifully
provides an idea of the forces that drove Ali, and when the film
threatens to stall, he delivers meticulously-recreated, epic, and
thrilling fight scenes.
Though Smith overshadows
the entire cast, an unrecognisable Jon Voight excels as veteran
sportscaster and paternal friend Howard Cosell. Jamie Foxx also
delivers an emotional punch as Ali's beleaguered friend Drew 'Bundini'
Brown.
Despite its failings,
"Ali" delivers a consistently engaging and involving story of individual
heroism which, given the man's revered status, is what many would
want.
With more attention
paid to Ali's psyche, this could have been up there with "Raging
Bull", but, buoyed by Smith's tremendous performance, it's still
very good.
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