Agreed. I also felt that Smith is such a big star and such a huge persona that it's hard to watch him in a movie without thinking "hey it's Will Smith." So ultimately the whole movie feels like you are watching Will Smith trying to be Ali.
O_O what how are ppl hating on this movie or Will's performance?? Beautiful movie, captured the man we know and love and the film was put together beautifully
Faraz Bolourian It was such an unnecessarily long movie though and as a result, suffered from pacing issues. Smith definitely did great as Ali, but he had the misfortune of there already being documentaries and movies with Ali himself in it.
I saw it in theaters and all i was left with was an "ehhh" feeling. I agree with Ebert on this one. But I don't remember the scene he was talking about where Ali was running through the African streets. I might have gotten up to pee when it started, and I haven't watched it since it came out in 2001.
How is this guy being paid for this gibberish? The part where Ali runs through the neighbourhood is the most powerful scene in the whole film! Roger Ebert has made a few iffy judgements before, but this confirms it, he's a tool.
seblasian That's not entertaining though after a while. That's self-indulgent filmmaking at work. Whoever was in charge of editing Ali needed to respect the audience's time and level of patience.
the running scene is absolutely ridiculous. my buddy saw this at the movies and warned me how bad that scene was. i thought he was exaggerating so i rented it when it came out on video... there was no exaggeration.
Yeah, I never really understood the love for Smith in this role nor the oscar nomination. I just never believed he was Ali. I agree with Ebert that he had a lot of the qualities and he was trying to channel him as best as he could, but that was the issue. A great acting performance should be effortless. Watching Will Smith, you could really see him trying real hard, and that took away from the film.
They didn't mention "THE GREATEST" in which Ali played himself. A much much better movie. Ali was too much of a character and just too much of a natural in front of the camera for him not to play himself in a biopic. Will Smith's Ali was merely a cartoon. And Drew Bundini Brown even played himself and did a better job than Foxx did.
smith was actually good at this movie.....it wasn't as good as i thought it would be but it was still good......hope we got to see another biopic with smith as Ali again.......because his life story is just amazing..
I tried to watch this film for the first time 1 week after first seeing Ray. Hoping for another great biopic about a legend. But damn I only made it through the first 35 minutes before coming to Ebert's conclusion of "what is this film trying to say", the film is incredibly unfocused or at least seemingly focused on the wrong things. Ali was larger than life and one of the most charismatic men of the last century, his story should be incredibly entertaining just as much as the man literally was. Yet I was just bored. I might try to watch this film in small 30minute chunks to see it through but damn we need a new Ali biopic. Also I think Will Smith was pretty good, he nailed how Ali spoke but he didn't quite leap off the screen with the larger than life charisma either.
The problem I have with Will Smith's performance is, weather or not he realizes it, he's Fresh Princing it the entire time. He doesn't talk like Ali, he talks like his old TV character in a dramatic role. Though to be fair, I do see him trying not to do that, just not succeeding.
I thought Will Smith was horrible in this film. If he was in your living room doing an impersonation of Ali in front you, then it would be sufficient. I'm sure I'd get a kick of it. But in a big production movie like this? No way was his acting chops enough to get through it. To be fair, there is SO much footage of Ali it would be hard. Also, this movie was not needed. The documentary covered what was important and was 20x more powerful. To sum it up, the movie was a bore.
Grant Nelson He's trying to be fair. He knows that just because a movie may be flawed doesn't mean it's not still worth recommending to whomever is viewing or reading his opinions.
@coolmartcola WHAT ?? HOW MANY ACTORS HAD ONLY ONE SHOT AT PORTRAYING SOMEONES LIFES STORY AND THEY KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK. .WILL SMITH IS A GREAT ACTOR AND HE COULDNT DO IT, SORRY .
I think they are both completely wrong about this film. If either had ever studied Mann's previous films, they should have known what to expect. Ali is a wonderful film, bolstered by one of the best casts ever assembled. Sorry fellas, but out of touch is out of touch, and you are so far off the mark here I can't help but feel bad for yas.
Ebert hit the nail on the head with this one.
That's why he was the best at his job
Agreed. I also felt that Smith is such a big star and such a huge persona that it's hard to watch him in a movie without thinking "hey it's Will Smith." So ultimately the whole movie feels like you are watching Will Smith trying to be Ali.
Smith does a credible job. Voight is convincing but this movie was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY to long and got bogged down with itself.
Both Voight and Smith got oscar nods.
I really liked this movie and it's really nice to see Will Smith do something outside of a summer blockbuster.
RIP Ali.
RIP to Ali.
And Ebert😥
I agree, if anyone wanted to make him look boring and that period of history look meaningless, Michael Mann achieved it 👎
O_O what how are ppl hating on this movie or Will's performance?? Beautiful movie, captured the man we know and love and the film was put together beautifully
Faraz Bolourian It was such an unnecessarily long movie though and as a result, suffered from pacing issues. Smith definitely did great as Ali, but he had the misfortune of there already being documentaries and movies with Ali himself in it.
It's absolutely dreadful. !
I totally agree with Roger.
Thanks, that really cleared things up for me
I saw it in theaters and all i was left with was an "ehhh" feeling. I agree with Ebert on this one. But I don't remember the scene he was talking about where Ali was running through the African streets. I might have gotten up to pee when it started, and I haven't watched it since it came out in 2001.
How is this guy being paid for this gibberish? The part where Ali runs through the neighbourhood is the most powerful scene in the whole film! Roger Ebert has made a few iffy judgements before, but this confirms it, he's a tool.
seblasian That's not entertaining though after a while. That's self-indulgent filmmaking at work. Whoever was in charge of editing Ali needed to respect the audience's time and level of patience.
the running scene is absolutely ridiculous. my buddy saw this at the movies and warned me how bad that scene was. i thought he was exaggerating so i rented it when it came out on video... there was no exaggeration.
Yeah, I never really understood the love for Smith in this role nor the oscar nomination. I just never believed he was Ali. I agree with Ebert that he had a lot of the qualities and he was trying to channel him as best as he could, but that was the issue. A great acting performance should be effortless. Watching Will Smith, you could really see him trying real hard, and that took away from the film.
Amen on Smith this was not Ali it was Will badly impersonating Ali
They didn't mention "THE GREATEST" in which Ali played himself. A much much better movie. Ali was too much of a character and just too much of a natural in front of the camera for him not to play himself in a biopic. Will Smith's Ali was merely a cartoon. And Drew Bundini Brown even played himself and did a better job than Foxx did.
smith was actually good at this movie.....it wasn't as good as i thought it would be but it was still good......hope we got to see another biopic with smith as Ali again.......because his life story is just amazing..
Ali was long and epic..
"The first and most honest thing to say about Miracle at St. Anna is that it's an awful mess."
I tried to watch this film for the first time 1 week after first seeing Ray. Hoping for another great biopic about a legend. But damn I only made it through the first 35 minutes before coming to Ebert's conclusion of "what is this film trying to say", the film is incredibly unfocused or at least seemingly focused on the wrong things. Ali was larger than life and one of the most charismatic men of the last century, his story should be incredibly entertaining just as much as the man literally was. Yet I was just bored. I might try to watch this film in small 30minute chunks to see it through but damn we need a new Ali biopic.
Also I think Will Smith was pretty good, he nailed how Ali spoke but he didn't quite leap off the screen with the larger than life charisma either.
Ebert seems bored sitting next to this kid. He just seems to miss Gene Siskel, and is only phoning in his review. I don't blame him.
It’s kinda like the issue the ben’s had the chemistry wasn’t there.
The problem I have with Will Smith's performance is, weather or not he realizes it, he's Fresh Princing it the entire time. He doesn't talk like Ali, he talks like his old TV character in a dramatic role. Though to be fair, I do see him trying not to do that, just not succeeding.
I thought Will Smith was horrible in this film. If he was in your living room doing an impersonation of Ali in front you, then it would be sufficient. I'm sure I'd get a kick of it.
But in a big production movie like this? No way was his acting chops enough to get through it.
To be fair, there is SO much footage of Ali it would be hard. Also, this movie was not needed. The documentary covered what was important and was 20x more powerful.
To sum it up, the movie was a bore.
wemetee Amen
This movie just screams "Oscar bait".
it was directed horribly...the shots are so wierd... a better director could of made it better
Roeper bashed this movie relentlessly throughout the entire review, but he still gave it a thumbs up?
Grant Nelson He's trying to be fair. He knows that just because a movie may be flawed doesn't mean it's not still worth recommending to whomever is viewing or reading his opinions.
The film pacing was too fast. Will Smith was ok, sometimes he sounds like him sometimes he doesn't. The ending ends too quickly.
the directing was so bad...
Why do people who hate Ebert watch these uploads?
How bout Roger Ebert in "al pee"
on and on and on and ON! haha
lol: "It goes on, and on, and on...............and ON". Did he have an accident at that point or something? haha :D Ebert the greatest of them all!!
@coolmartcola WHAT ?? HOW MANY ACTORS HAD ONLY ONE SHOT AT PORTRAYING SOMEONES LIFES STORY AND THEY KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK. .WILL SMITH IS A GREAT ACTOR AND HE COULDNT DO IT, SORRY .
Agreed with Ebert. It was a disappointing, unfocused film.
should have had a black director like Malcolm X, a far superior film, Spike Lee or the Hughes brothers would have done a way better job
That's ludicrous bro it has nothing to do with race but rather bad choice for the actors, story and editing that ruined Ali's potential
I think they are both completely wrong about this film. If either had ever studied Mann's previous films, they should have known what to expect. Ali is a wonderful film, bolstered by one of the best casts ever assembled. Sorry fellas, but out of touch is out of touch, and you are so far off the mark here I can't help but feel bad for yas.
Mann`s direction in Heat was perfect but using that dark style didn`t work for this subject matter, it was too downbeat.
The soundtrack was perfect though.
Roger is way wrong on this movie!!!!!
I didnt like this movie at all and i love ali. i think the directing ruined this movie.
Will Smith's most overrated role.
and your profile icon is the avengers??? sorry but not sorry -- you clearly like a certain kind of "movie"
weakest mann movie.
White guy directed a Muhammad Ali biopic....fail!
What the f**k difference does race make?