FILM REVIEW: ALI (2001)
The first thing which struck me about Ali, a biopic of possibly the greatest boxer of all time and flawed man who was also brilliant, was that it is almost 25 years old. I clearly remember reading an Empire Magazine report on its making where there was a quote (from Michael Mann I think) along the lines of “Will Smith could be a professional boxer”. Smith has since proved that even with a sucker punch he can’t drop Chris Rock; and they say power is the last thing to go. Perhaps Chris Rock has the iron chin of Golovkin, but I doubt it. Training so hard you look great on film doesn’t make you a boxer. I watch boxing up so close when commentating, my other “thing”, I’ve literally spent time trying to get a fighter’s blood out my eye. Smith is given the advantage of having the camera make him look like a great fighter. Will Smith is an actor, a very good one who is perfectly cast as Muhammad Ali. I genuinely can’t think of anyone better to play that role from the era, who could carry the c...
