I am a 28 year old professional male I seem to mostly review films and I try to ensure that my revie...
I am a 28 year old professional male I seem to mostly review films and I try to ensure that my reviews are concise and to the point. Who wants to read a lot of waffle that so often scores the exceptionals on here?
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Ali is a biopic of the former heavyweight champion Mohammed Ali.
The firm starts with Ali fight against Sonny Liston. This is the fight in which he wins the title for the first time. The last fit of the film is Ali victory over George Foreman in the contest known as the Rubble in The Juggle. This is where Ali regains his title.
The early parts of the film center on Ali relationship with Malcolm X and the Muslim Brotherhood. The next major section of the film is when Ali refused to accept the draft for the US military. The reason for this was essentially that he didn’t feel oppressed by the Vietcong. The result of this is that he is stripped of his title and banned from fighting.
Eventually Ali manages to overturn the ban and regain his fighting license. He fights Joe Frazier and he loses against him. Then before a rematch can be arranged Frazier himself loses as George Foreman knocks him out. Ali arranges a fight with Foreman in Zaire. This fight will be known as the Rubble in The Jungle and is probably the most famous fight in the film.
The best part of this film is probably Will Smith’s performance. He looks and acts like Mohammed Ali, it is hard to think that he was once the scrawny little guy in Fresh Prince of Belle Air. He also has Ali’s confidence (or possibly pseudo confidence). The other characters are ok, the Don Smith actor and the news reporter are very portrayed.
Ali is not only a hard hitter, he is also seen as being quick witted. He insults his opponents inside and outside of the ring and engages in banter with the press. This is well portrayed and Will Smith certainly does cocky well.
The fights are well put together; they are certainly more realistic than the Rocky saga and actually look like a real fight. Much of the action is from the kind of distance that cameras obtain. Having said that few of the fights have the drama of Rocky, but then this is a different kind of film.
The film doesn’t really explore the inner Ali. It is more about what happens to Ali and does not explain much of what happens. You don’t really discover what motives him to fight or not fight, apart from his hatred of oppression at the hands of white people. I think it is only the fact that he Ali is already known to the audience that makes them care about the character.
Another problem is that the menaces to Ali don’t seem that terrible. Foreman is supposedly able to kill Ali, yet I don’t ever feel this. In part this may be because I know the outcome, but also because only Ali’s wife seems bothered. Maybe if people close to him were concerned the audience might be. Similarly he supposedly faces the threat of jail, yet this just doesn’t seem to be too terrible or likely.
The film is slow in the middle. I think this is because the whole ban/ possible jail sentence drags on for too long. It might have been interesting if the film had focused on Frazier as an opponent in the middle of the film, he and Ali fought on three occasions and it was a reasonably equal contest. Or maybe starting the film earlier might have given more exploration of Ali’s motivations.
This film is ok, definitely one for any Will Smith fans to own. And probably any Ali or boxing fans too. However for the general public it is probably a bit much. The film has no romantic or comedy appeal. Nor is it filled with special effects. Like all biographies you really need an interest in the subject. If you are into boxing you will love the fight scenes, especially the Rubble in the Jungle. If you are an Ali fan you will love the range of his acting.
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(+) Because of the new series the box set isn't complete, which means it will be cheaper! (-) It isnt the complete box set so you'll have to buy the new dvds seperatly or wait for the new set!
Production Year: 2003 - Comedy - Director: John Crowley - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Colin Farrell, Shirley Henderson, Cillian Murphy, Colm Meaney, Rory Keenan, Laurence Kinlan
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Advantages: Good quality, enjoyable and interesting, good fights and good acting Disadvantages: Not a pure boxing film, or a pure life story. Too long and fails to last in the middle.
Chris_Padden 16.07.2002 ·
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