Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Ali

Play trailer 2:55 Poster for Ali R Released Dec 25, 2001 2h 38m Biography History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
69% Tomatometer 154 Reviews 65% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
With wit and athletic genius, with defiant rage and inner grace, Muhammad Ali forever changed the American landscape. Fighting all comers, Ali took on the law, conventions, the status quo and the war -- as well as the fists in front of him. Ali both ignited and mirrored the conflicts of his time and ours to become one of the most admired fighters in the world. Forget, now, what you thought you knew.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Ali

Ali

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Though perhaps no film could fully do justice to the fascinating life and personality of Muhammad Ali, Mann's direction and Smith's performance combine to pack a solid punch.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (154) Critics Reviews
Richard Brody New Yorker It has the unsurpassable merit of its main character, Muhammad Ali, who is both one of the most serious people in the world and one of the funniest. Apr 6, 2020 Full Review Wilson Morales indieWire Smith packed on the pounds, unleashed some great boxing moves, and displayed a level of emotional pull that compelled audiences to see him as The Greatest. Mar 31, 2020 Full Review Nell Minow Common Sense Media Brutal fight scenes and frank racial issues. Rated: 5/5 Dec 21, 2010 Full Review JD Duran InSession Film The performances are through the roof in this film. Rated: B+ Aug 16, 2024 Full Review Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal The director's cut is the best but any version of Michael Mann's film makes it clear: The rope-a-dope was something Ali perfected outside the ring, cobbled together as a combination move inside only after he reconciled himself to his singular status. Rated: 3.5/5 Feb 22, 2021 Full Review Kaleem Aftab The List [Michael Mann] successfully recreates an era on screen and provides a great introduction to the fighter that is not clouded by sentimentality. Rated: 4/5 Apr 16, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews
Sams K A great cinematic portrait of a legendary athlete, maybe one of best acting performances by Will Smith. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/03/24 Full Review Audience Member What is with the long winded irrelevant singing at the start of the movie ? Followed by a long winded fighting scene with no context. Absolutely hated it. Badly directed, badly acted, disappointing rendition of a man who had a very interesting life. All we seen was hollywierd hype. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/04/24 Full Review Audience Member Only for those interested, for me, couldn't give a rat's arse, Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/02/24 Full Review Alec B Leave it to Michael Mann to craft such an audacious, offbeat, and occasionally frustrating portrayal of Muhammad Ali. I get why it has a reputation for mostly disappointing people but I like that the movie defies convention both in narrative and style. In regards to Smith, he's best when playing Ali's charismatic and transgressive public persona while he falls flat in scenes that require more nuance. With stronger central performance, this might have been a masterpiece. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/14/23 Full Review Northern T Movie was trying to glorify a coward. Poor quality movie. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 11/05/23 Full Review Alejandro E A Will Smith in one of his most mature roles, in the shoes of the iconic and controversial champion. The script is done in such a way that it avoids the cliches of biographies or boxing dramas, which is appreciated. There are elements that seem redundant but at least they are not a drag. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Ali

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Ali

Ali: Official Clip - Caught Cheating Ali: Official Clip - Caught Cheating 1:45 Ali: Official Clip - Malcolm X's Assassination Ali: Official Clip - Malcolm X's Assassination 3:13 Ali: Official Clip - Ali Rhymes Ali: Official Clip - Ali Rhymes 2:40 Ali: Official Clip - Rematch with Sonny Liston Ali: Official Clip - Rematch with Sonny Liston 1:46 Ali: Official Clip - Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier Ali: Official Clip - Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier 2:37 Ali: Official Clip - Muhammad Ali & Sonji Roi Ali: Official Clip - Muhammad Ali & Sonji Roi 3:16 Ali: Official Clip - Beating George Foreman Ali: Official Clip - Beating George Foreman 3:43 Ali: Official Clip - Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman Ali: Official Clip - Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman 2:07 Ali: Official Clip - The New Heavyweight Champion Ali: Official Clip - The New Heavyweight Champion 2:17 Ali: Official Clip - On the Ropes Ali: Official Clip - On the Ropes 2:54 View more videos
Kinsey 90% 75% Kinsey Watchlist The Bleeder 82% 63% The Bleeder Watchlist TRAILER for The Bleeder Nixon 75% 74% Nixon Watchlist TRAILER for Nixon J. Edgar 44% 44% J. Edgar Watchlist Professor Marston & the Wonder Women 87% 77% Professor Marston & the Wonder Women Watchlist TRAILER for Professor Marston & the Wonder Women Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis With wit and athletic genius, with defiant rage and inner grace, Muhammad Ali forever changed the American landscape. Fighting all comers, Ali took on the law, conventions, the status quo and the war -- as well as the fists in front of him. Ali both ignited and mirrored the conflicts of his time and ours to become one of the most admired fighters in the world. Forget, now, what you thought you knew.
Director
Michael Mann
Producer
A. Kitman Ho, Michael Mann, Paul Ardaji, Jon Peters, James Lassiter
Screenwriter
Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson, Eric Roth, Michael Mann, Gregory Allen Howard
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Picture Entertainment Corporation, Peters Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, Initial Entertainment Group, Overbrook Entertainment, Forward Pass
Rating
R (Some Sexuality|Language|Violence)
Genre
Biography, History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 25, 2001, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jun 10, 2016
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$58.2M
Runtime
2h 38m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
Most Popular at Home Now