SummaryWill Smith and director/writer Michael Mann take you into the heart and life of the boxer, the legend and, more importantly, the man, Muhammad Ali. [Columbia Pictures]
Directed By:Michael Mann
Written By:Gregory Allen Howard, Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson, Eric Roth
Ali
Metascore
Generally Favorable
65
User score
Generally Favorable
6.7
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
65
64% Positive
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
36% Mixed
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
90
Ali is a bruiser, unwieldy in length and ambition. But Mann and Smith deliver this powerhouse with the urgency of a champ's left hook.
80
We see the movie levitate when Ali and Brown chant, "Float like a butterfly," the slogan that takes on a different meaning in each context, starting off as hopeful and spry, finally becoming rueful and pointed. When the film pulls off moments like these, it's breathtaking -- a near great movie.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.7
64% Positive
53 Ratings
53 Ratings
30% Mixed
25 Ratings
25 Ratings
6% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
Aug 10, 2014
10
Although I have never been a fan of Muhammad Ali's attitude and arrogance I have always been a fan of Ali the athlete. I was very pleased with this movie and it seemed to me to be very accurate in all details. They did a very good job keeping it true to life. This movie was not only factual but highly enjoyable as the story of one of my all time favorites; the greatest, Muhammad Ali. I have given it the highest rating of 10!
Feb 14, 2016
9
Powerful, emotionally stirring, and ever captivating, Michael Mann's biopic Ali is a brilliant film that is an example of Mann directing in peak form, comparable to his success with Heat and The Insider. The direction is fantastic and this film touches on many aspects of Muhammad Ali's compelling life and none of them feel out of place. They all feel as if they are coherent and moving towards the same goal. Additionally, the writing is fantastic and did a great job both capturing Ali and making compelling cinema. Will Smith is phenomenally charismatic in the lead role and truly embodies the boxing legend. The choreography of the fights and everything to do with them is fantastic with the music and editing being particular highlights. Both ensure that the fights are as climactic as possible and also compelling as possible. Overall, Ali is truly a brilliant work from Michael Mann that reaches far and high and winds up knocking out the competition.
75
It's not Smith's fault that the movie can't quite pry apart the man from the myth from the metaphor. The three may well be inseparable by now and, at this point in his history and ours, that's surely the way we prefer it.
70
Filled with vivid cameos and set to an infectious soul beat that effectively covers the underlying hum of calculated precision.
60
Watching Ali, you can be sure of experiencing two opposing things: a sterling performance from Will Smith as Muhammad Ali and a bewilderingly punch-drunk movie from Michael Mann.
50
Ali‘s narrative laxness comes at the fault of boxing time (a good one-third of the film’s three-hour time span is spent inside the ring). You say: But Mann knows how to direct a fight. But I say: So what?
40
Will Smith flies like a butterfly, but what director Michael Mann does to the greatest fighter of all time just stings.
Feb 7, 2026
8
Though perhaps no film could fully do justice to the fascinating life and personality of Muhammad Ali, Michael Mann's direction and Will Smith's performance combine to pack a solid punch.
Jul 21, 2023
8
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.
Feb 11, 2015
6
As unfocused and taxing as it gets, Michael Mann's "Ali" manages to keep the viewers in their seats with some snappy cinematography and a commanding - and perhaps career-best - lead performance.
Sep 17, 2010
6
Will Smith was very good but I wanted to see more about what happened out of the ring, more about the man himself. Yes we all know he beat Foreman, Liston, etc in those fights, so why go on so long with them?
Should have brought it up to date with his later fights, Parkinsons Disease, etc rather than stopping in 1975.
Feb 15, 2018
5
say my name.. Ali There are some genuine emotional moments and high pitched dramatic sequences that brings out the best of director and actor but somewhere between an overlong runtime of 157 minutes these scenes are overpowered by dull and mundane biographical natured stills. Ali is adapted smartly and focuses on the after events of his fame and not on its upbringing unlike any other biographies. Michael Mann whose depiction has always seemed a bit eerie to me, works like a charm here but fails to deliver more than that. Will Smith oozes power in each and every frame (especially the 'say my name' fighting sequence) along with great supporting cast like Jamie Foxx and Jon Voight. Ali is a work of art, only if it is to depict and create the reality onto the screen because as far as drama is concerned it lacks gripping screenplay to hold the audience through the last round.
Production Company:
- Columbia Pictures
- Initial Entertainment Group (IEG)
- Peters Entertainment
- Forward Pass
- Picture Entertainment
- Overbrook Entertainment
- Moonlighting Films
Release Date:Dec 25, 2001
Duration:2 h 37 m
Rating:R
Tagline:Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 3 Nominations
Academy Awards, USA
• 2 Nominations
Black Reel Awards
• 4 Wins & 8 Nominations
