Ali (2001)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Michael Mann

Writers (WGA):

Gregory Allen Howard (story)
Stephen J. Rivele (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 December 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Forget What You Think You Know

Plot:

A biography of sports legend, Muhammad Ali, from his early days to his days in the ring.

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Muhammad Ali | Friendship | Victory | Malcolm X

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Will Smith	...	Cassius Clay / Cassius X / Muhammad Ali
Jamie Foxx	...	Drew 'Bundini' Brown
Jon Voight	...	Howard Cosell
Mario Van Peebles	...	Malcolm X
Ron Silver	...	Angelo Dundee
Jeffrey Wright	...	Howard Bingham
Mykelti Williamson	...	Don King
Jada Pinkett Smith	...	Sonji Roi
Nona Gaye	...	Belinda Ali
Michael Michele	...	Veronica Porche
Joe Morton	...	Chauncey Eskridge
Paul Rodriguez	...	Dr. Ferdie Pacheco
Bruce McGill	...	Bradley
Barry Shabaka Henley	...	Jabir Herbert Muhammad
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr.

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and brief violence. (also director's cut)

Runtime:

157 min | USA:165 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Malaysia:18SG (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (re-rating) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) (director's cut) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) (original rating) | Brazil:12 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #37745) | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Accra, Ghana

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Michael Mann and Will Smith always wanted Jon Voight for the role of Howard Cosell.

Goofs:

Continuity: Ali sits down twice when Malcolm visits him in his hotel room.

Quotes:

[in an interview about a possible title fight with Joe Frazier]
Muhammad Ali: But if I ever was to get in the ring with Joe, here's what you might see. Ali comes out to meet Frazier, but Frazier starts to retreat. If Joe back up an inch farther, he'll wind up in a ringside seat. Ali swings with his left. Ali swings with his right...

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: Ali" (2001)

Soundtrack:

As the Years Go Passing By

Not a boxing movie, a landmark film

Well, if you went to Ali to see an boxing movie you might have been disappointed, but if you went to see a great film you hit the mark. The hype was due. A conglomerate of great acting, great direction, and a great story has made Ali a landmark film. This film is socially important because it raises up one of the most notable and underappreciated figures of the twentieth century, Ali. Many considered Ali just a boxer with a big mouth, but this film finally exposes him for what he truly was, one of the greatest civil rights leaders of our time. The film makes subtle but amazingly-done comparisons between Ali and other civil rights leaders, notably Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and highlites Ali's influence with theirs. This theme is climaxed in the beautiful scene of Ali (Will Smith) running down streets in Africa with local chidren chanting his name. At this moment in the film, we understand as viewers that Ali did not fight for fame or fortune, but he fought for his rights and the rights of all black people in the United States and the world. No other film has exhalted Ali's influence in such a way. It was beautifully done. Ali will become one of my favorite films of all time, and I believe will be remembered years from now as the crowning achievement of both the main actor and the director. I applaud their efforts