Michael Mann’s Ali (2001) is a brooding, immersive biopic that tracks ten pivotal years in the life of Muhammad Ali, from his 1964 upset of Sonny Liston to the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman. Rather than racing through a greatest‑hits reel, the film settles into the textures of Ali’s world—its politics, faith, fame, and emotional fallout.
The plot follows Cassius Clay (Will Smith) as he explodes onto the boxing scene, seizing the heavyweight title from Liston and redefining what a Black athlete could sound and look like in the American spotlight.
As his celebrity grows, Clay’s spiritual journey leads him to the Nation of Islam and Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles), culminating in his transformation into Muhammad Ali—a change that fractures family ties and unsettles the establishment.
Mann anchors the story in key turning points: Ali’s controversial refusal of the Vietnam draft, the stripping of his title and license, and his long exile from the ring, followed by his eventual legal vindication.
Around him orbit a constellation of figures including trainer Angelo Dundee (Ron Silver), lawyer Chauncey Eskridge (Joe Morton), announcer Howard Cosell (Jon Voight), promoter Don King (Mykelti Williamson) and Sonji Roi (Jada Pinkett Smith) Ali’s first wife and ex-Playboy bunny, each shaping and reacting to the man behind the myth.
The narrative culminates in Zaire, where Ali’s rope‑a‑dope strategy against Foreman secures his legendary comeback.
Smith delivers a finely calibrated performance that captures Ali’s musical braggadocio, physical grace, and private reserve more than simple impersonation.
Jamie Foxx, as corner man Drew Bundini Brown, gives the film its soulful, hustling heartbeat, while Voight disappears into Cosell with uncanny precision, their odd-couple dynamic hinting at a genuine, complicated affection.
Jeffrey Wright, Paul Rodriguez, Bruce McGill, LeVar Burton, Leon Robinson, Giancarlo Esposito, and Ted Levine round out the supporting cast.
Will Smith in Ali (Photo/Sony Pictures)
Reception for Ali
Ali grossed $10.2 million on its opening weekend, finishing sixth at the box office.
The film would gross $87.7 million worldwide
Roger Ebert gave Ali two out of four stars in his review.
Legacy
Ali has never been canonized as the definitive sports biopic, partly because its introspective, scattershot structure resists conventional uplift, yet it stands as a crucial pivot in Smith’s career—cementing him as a serious dramatic actor—and as one of Mann’s most formally ambitious works, fusing stylized digital imagery with historical recreation.
Over time, the film’s moody, observational approach has aged into a thoughtful, sometimes mesmerizing meditation on how a man becomes an icon—and what gets sacrificed in the process.
