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Ali

"Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee."

2001-12-10 Drama 2hr 37m

In 1964, a brash, new pro boxer, fresh from his Olympic gold medal victory, explodes onto the scene: Cassius Clay. Bold and outspoken, he cuts an entirely new image for African Americans in sport with his proud public self-confidence and his unapologetic belief that he is the greatest boxer of all time. Yet at the top of his game, both Ali's personal and professional lives face the ultimate test.

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Storyline

In 1964, a brash, new pro boxer, fresh from his Olympic gold medal victory, explodes onto the scene: Cassius Clay. Bold and outspoken, he cuts an entirely new image for African Americans in sport with his proud public self-confidence and his unapologetic belief that he is the greatest boxer of all time. Yet at the top of his game, both Ali's personal and professional lives face the ultimate test.

  • Released
    2001-12-10
  • Revenue
    $87,700,000
  • Budget
    $107,000,000
  • Runtime
    2hr 37m
  • Genre
    Drama
  • Status
    Released
  • Language
    English
  • imdb-logo
    6.7
  • Production
    Columbia Pictures, Initial Entertainment Group, Forward Pass, Overbrook Entertainment, Peters Entertainment, Lee Caplin / Picture Entertainment

Crew

Michael Mann
Director
Stephen J. Rivele
Screenplay
Paul Ardaji
Producer

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Cast

Will Smith

Will Smith

Muhammad Ali / Cassius Clay
Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx

Drew 'Bundini' Brown
Jon Voight

Jon Voight

Howard Cosell
Ron Silver

Ron Silver

Angelo Dundee
Jeffrey Wright

Jeffrey Wright

Howard Bingham
Nona Gaye

Nona Gaye

Belinda Ali
Michael Michele

Michael Michele

Veronica Porche
Joe Morton

Joe Morton

Chauncey Eskridge
Paul Rodríguez

Paul Rodríguez

Dr. Ferdie Pacheco
Barry Shabaka Henley

Barry Shabaka Henley

Herbert Muhammad
Giancarlo Esposito

Giancarlo Esposito

Cassius Clay, Sr.
Laurence Mason

Laurence Mason

Luis Sarria
LeVar Burton

LeVar Burton

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Albert Hall

Albert Hall

Elijah Muhammad
David Cubitt

David Cubitt

Robert Lipsyte
Ted Levine

Ted Levine

Joe Smiley
David Elliott

David Elliott

Sam Cooke
Shari Watson

Shari Watson

Woman Singer
Malick Bowens

Malick Bowens

Joseph Mobutu
Michael Bentt

Michael Bentt

Sonny Liston
James Toney

James Toney

'Smokin' Joe Frazier
Alfred Cole

Alfred Cole

Ernie Terrell
Charles Shufford

Charles Shufford

George Foreman
Rufus Dorsey

Rufus Dorsey

Floyd Paterson
Robert Sale

Robert Sale

Jerry Quarry
Vince Cooke

Vince Cooke

Jimmy Ellis
David Haines

David Haines

Rudy Clay / Rahaman Ali
Victoria Dillard

Victoria Dillard

Betty Shabazz
Brad Greenquist

Brad Greenquist

Marlin Thomas
Morgana Van Peebles

Morgana Van Peebles

Malcolm X's Daughter
Maya Van Peebles

Maya Van Peebles

Malcolm X's Daughter
Maestro Harrell

Maestro Harrell

Young Cassius Clay
William Utay

William Utay

The Doctor
Kim Robillard

Kim Robillard

Jimmy Cannon
David Purdham

David Purdham

Madison Square Garden Announcer
Gailard Sartain

Gailard Sartain

Gordon Davidson
Wade Williams

Wade Williams

Lieutenant Jerome Claridge
Guy Van Swearingen

Guy Van Swearingen

Induction FBI Man
Doug Hale

Doug Hale

Judge Ingraham
LaDonna Tittle

LaDonna Tittle

Bundini's Landlady
Marc Grapey

Marc Grapey

Bob Arum
Herb Mitchell

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Boxing Commissioner
Eddie Bo Smith Jr.

Eddie Bo Smith Jr.

Malcolm's Bodyguard
Bobby Stuart

Bobby Stuart

Thomas 15X Johnson
Patrick New

Patrick New

Room Service Guy
Ron O.J. Parson

Ron O.J. Parson

Death Newsman
Ellis Williams

Ellis Williams

Family Photo Man
Alexandra Bokyun Chun

Alexandra Bokyun Chun

Asian Cosmetologist
John Gleeson Connolly

John Gleeson Connolly

Assistant Director
Jack Reiss

Jack Reiss

Referee Arthur Mercante
Marty Denkin

Marty Denkin

Frazier Fight II Announcer
Tamara Lynch

Tamara Lynch

Flight Attendant
Chico Benymon

Chico Benymon

Hampton House Announcer
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Robert Byrd

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Willie Reddick
Cedric Wills

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Jersey Joe Walcott, Referee
Moses Hollins

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Man on Train
Daniel E. Gurevitz

Daniel E. Gurevitz

Boxing Commission Reporter
Ray Bokhour

Ray Bokhour

Reporter
Leonard Termo

Leonard Termo

Madison Square Garden Reporter
Johnny Ortiz

Johnny Ortiz

Madison Square Garden Reporter
Mark Salem

Mark Salem

New York Reporter
Sheldon Fogel

Sheldon Fogel

New York Reporter
Jim Gray

Jim Gray

New York Reporter
Melvin Thomas

Melvin Thomas

Harlem Neighbor
Natalie Carter

Natalie Carter

Harlem Neighbor
Reginald Footman

Reginald Footman

Harlem Neighbor
Poe Poe

Poe Poe

Harlem Reporter
Mel Dick

Mel Dick

Louisville Sponsoring Group
Vic Manni

Vic Manni

Dressing Room Weigh-In Guy
Will Gill Jr.

Will Gill Jr.

Dick Sadler
Sylvaine Strike

Sylvaine Strike

ORTF Interviewer
Denis Luposo

Denis Luposo

Kinshasa Reporter
Sharon Wilkinson

Sharon Wilkinson

Rose Jennings
Carol Hatchett

Carol Hatchett

Pointer Sister
Judith Mwale

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Richard Katanga

Richard Katanga

Mobutu Aide / Military Aide
Thomas Kariuki Matheri

Thomas Kariuki Matheri

Lieutenant Nsakala
Larry Hazzard Sr.

Larry Hazzard Sr.

Zack Clayton
Derrick Brown

Derrick Brown

Larry Holmes
Graham Hopkins

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London Banker
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Dan Robbertse

Dan Robbertse

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Movie Reviews

Reviews for Ali
reviewer avatar

A Review by Geronimo1967 6

Written by Geronimo1967 on 2024-02-01

There are flashes of the legendary Muhammad Ali wit and quick-thinking delivery peppered throughout this otherwise rather long and ponderous... read more

There are flashes of the legendary Muhammad Ali wit and quick-thinking delivery peppered throughout this otherwise rather long and ponderous story of the life of Cassius Clay from relative poverty through to his mastery of not just the boxing ring but of the television media that, at that point, fed successfully from this truly global sport. It's Will Smith who takes centre stage after his gold medal victory at the Tokyo Olympiad in 1964 and like many other pugilists in history, his character offers the down-trodden, working class, an inspiration. With sweat, tears and hard work he can escape the ghetto and have his fame and fortune, so why not them? What Michael Mann now proceeds to do is offer us a biopic of this man - of his peccadilloes, his religious beliefs, his persecution by the government when he refuses to be drafted to Vietnam and of some of his friendships with the great and the good of the equal rights movement that were gaining in prominence and effectiveness under the likes of Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles). We are presented with a plausibly flawed individual, but one who is a proud and savvy man who knows just how to push the buttons to keeps his life-blood's publicity machine going. To that end, here, Smith is well supported by Jamie Foxx's "Bundini", the long-suffering Angelo Dundee (Ron Silver) and by Jon Voight as his follicularly challenged media foil from ABC television - Howard Cosell. It's Smith that rather underwhelms. He delivers the set-pieces well enough, presumably he could rehearse them - but the rest of his persona is all rather weak, undercooked and I felt really over-written. There's way too much melodrama and speculation and not enough of what made the man an household name (and favourite) in the first place - his fighting. For such a rich source this is all rather meandering and lacking in substance. Maybe we could have directors cut - only 45 minutes shorter?

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)
A Review by CinemaSerf

There are flashes of the legendary Muhammad Ali wit and quick-thinking delivery peppered throughout this otherwise rather long and ponderous story of the life of Cassius Clay from relative poverty through to his mastery of not just the boxi...

reviewer avatar

A Review by Geronimo1967 6

Written by Geronimo1967 on 2024-02-01

There are flashes of the legendary Muhammad Ali wit and quick-thinking delivery peppered throughout this otherwise rather long and ponderous story of the life of Cassius Clay from relative poverty thr...

read more