Ali

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2:55

Ali

R

Released Dec 25, 2001

2h 38m

Biography

History

Drama

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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.

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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.

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Richard Brody

The 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

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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

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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

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Francisco S

Once again they make a real story boring. I know this is not a documentary, but there is more actual interesting footage from Ali than what is shown in this picture.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/08/25

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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

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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

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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

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Director

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Ali: Trailer 1

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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)

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