Ali...
Hm.. what to say about this movie. The first thing comes to mind is that it had a LOT of potential. The movie starts off *perfectly* with no narrative, only music for the first 15 minutes or so as the beginning unfolds. This definatley creates a mood that REALLY got me inspired. The movie is worth renting just for these types of scenes that happen every once in a while throughout the movie. Really nicely done...

Then the movie kind of dwindles and loses sight of what it could have been. Will Smith honestly does an incredible job as Ali. Not much more to say than that. The boxing seems pretty authentic and each punch lands with a resounding thud (thanks to my infinity subwoofer!) that really makes you feel like you are right there. But overall the movie is long, a little slow, and you don't really have a reference of time at any point in the movie. Years pass in Ali's life, but you aren't aware of it as a viewer until the film is basically over. It kind of feels like you are watching Casino, without the witty narrative. The movie seems to speed forward with reckless abandon, not quite hitting home on the fronts it should have and seems sputter during scenes that could have easily been cropped down. Honestly though, to make this movie have a complete, unrushed, and finished feel, it would probably be MUCH longer than it already is (2.5 hours!!).

Worth seeing for the most part, except it could have been soo much more...


& 1/2 (out of 4)

 

That was an accurate and good review.