Media: Film Review -- "Ali"

It was a sunny Christmas afternoon in Albany and I decided to give myself a present by driving downtown to watch the new release "Ali."

This movie is based on ten years in the life of the boxer Muhammad Ali, who is considered one of, if not, the greatest boxer that ever stepped in the ring.

The part of Ali was played by Will Smith, known notably in movies such as "Independence Day" and "Men in Black."

This is a make or break role for Smith, who hasn't really been seen in a truly dramatic role since he was in the critically acclaimed "Six Degrees of Separation."

I had my doubts about Smith playing Ali, and you know what? He didn't do as bad as I figured.

I also didn't know what to expect considering that I didn't grow up during Ali's prime. When I was a kid, I only knew Ali from Black Flag commercials and the signature on the gloves on the little boxing gloves I got.

But I'm glad that I saw a portrayal of those ten years of his life when he was in his prime.

All in all, I thought it was a pretty good movie.

Here's what to look for while watching "Ali."

The boxing sequences: Very well done. From other movie critics and sports columnists, I've heard that the boxing scenes (six of them, which cover the fights against Sonny Liston (both of them), Ernie Terrell, Joe Frasier, Jerry Quarry, and George Foreman) are eerily choreographed to how the fights actually looked when they were fought four decades ago. The build-ups to the scenes were just as well done, as Ali fought outside the ring in head-to-head battles with critics, the United States government, even the Nation of Islam. That was one of the things that killed me during the film -- I never did understand Elijah Muhammad's logic in suspending Ali from practicing Islam. That's like saying Billy Graham could suspend me from practicing Christianity. Nevertheless, it's a struggle that Ali didn't back down from.

The friendship between him and Howard Cosell: Jon Voight was the lucky soul who was picked to play the infamous broadcaster. Although Voight didn't look or even sound like Cosell (in some scenes, he was trying too hard), the fact of the matter is that he played an important role in the life of Ali. They were friends in and out of the ring and they benefited from each other professionally. One of my favorite exchanges in the movie was while they were in Zaire, during a press conference, Cosell asked Ali a question about not being the fighter that he was before he was banned. Ali responded: "I was on the phone with your wife last night and she said you weren't the same man you were TWO years ago!" That was your typical Ali-Cosell exchange.

The women in Ali's life: Ali may have been a faithful Muslim, but if there was an Achilles' heel, it was women. By the time the film ended, Ali had met three women that would prove to be important figures in his life. The first was Sonji Roi, played by Smith's wife in real life Jada Pinkett Smith. He felt she was too showy for him, so they split. Then he meets and marries Belinda, played by Nona Gaye, who bears him a pair of children. One of them, Laila, would go on to be a boxer herself. The third he'll meet during his fight in Zaire, Veronica Porsche, played by Michael Michelle. When the film ends, he would have married and divorced her, then married a longtime friend in 1986.

Finally, the friendship and affiliation with Malcolm X: During the first hour of the movie, Malcolm X's role in Ali's conversion to Islam will be emphasized heavily. In the beginning of the film, X, played by Mario Van Peebles, makes his presence known in the locker room of Ali before the first Sonny Liston fight. Ali's conversion gave him more of an edge against his opponents, at least psychologically. Aligning himself with a revolutionary would turn out to be costly, however, as his convictions, personal and spiritual, against the Vietnam War forbade him from fighting again in the United States for five years.

And, we can't forget, Don King, played almost to a tee by Mykelti Williamson. For those of you forgot who he was, he played Bubba in "Forest Gump."

I won't spoil the ending for you, seeing as most of you know the result at the "Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire. (And if you don't, I'll have to remind you to read up on your sporting history later.)

All in all, "Ali" is an okay flick if you're a sports fan. For any other movie fans who aren't into sports, better save your money for when it comes out on rental.