Muhammad ali, american boxer and social activist who was the first fighter to win the world heavyweight championship on three separate occasions. Muhammad alis early years and amateur career cassius marcellus clay jr. He defeated heavyweight kings sonny liston twice, floyd patterson twice, ernie terrell, jimmy ellis, ken norton twice, joe frazier twice, george foreman and leon spinks. He became the latter during this period, and seeing this movie so soon after alis passing makes it. Actor will smith played ali in the biopic film ali, released in 2001. The film focuses on ten years in the life of the boxer muhammad ali, played by will smith, from 1964 to 1974, featuring his capture of the heavyweight title from sonny liston, his conversion to islam, criticism of the vietnam war, and banishment from boxing, his return to fight joe frazier in 1971, and, finally, his reclaiming the title from george foreman in the rumble in the jungle fight of 1974. Ali was the last great boxer who was also a great man. Muhammad ali beat more champions and top contenders than any heavyweight champion in history. Will smith puts on the gloves and steps between the ropes as ali, arguably the most fascinating personality in sports history in this biopic from academy award nominated director michael mann.
He defeated lightheavyweight champs archie moore and bob foster. Fighting all comers, ali took on the law, conventions, the status quo and the. Even though the movie is too long and suffers from an inconsistent tone, the narrative is compelling, as are the performances. Will smith played muhammad ali in the 2001 movie ali and shares thoughts on playing the legendary boxer and cultural icon. Jun 29, 2018 pinkett smith played alis first wife sonji roi in the film. Its a humble feeling, ali said of having a movie made about his life. Muhammad ali was a heavyweight boxing champion with an impressive 56win record. An olympic gold medalist and the first fighter to capture. This movie like a few others was made by one characterization.
Will smith posted a touching tribute on facebook to muhammad ali following his recent passing on. The runtime of the film is approximately 8 minutes longer at around 165 minutes, but the. Jun 04, 2016 ali s biggest match, his fight with the us government. Learn more about alis career and achievements in this article. Much of the buzz anticipated sizzle form mann and fizzle from smith, but the film delivers the opposite, with smith s charismatic muhammad ali wandering through a cold, emotionally barren cinematic landscape created by mann. Smith received an oscar nomination for portraying the champ in michael manns ali 2001.
You changed my life, wrote will smith in a facebook post on saturday. Watch muhammad ali and will smith discuss ali with oprah winfrey. Nicknamed the greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time. A biography of sports legend muhammad ali, focusing on his triumphs and controversies between 1964 and 1974. Jun 10, 2016 ahead of muhammad ali s funeral on friday, ets nischelle turner spoke with his daughter, laila ali, about the legacy her father left behind and the relationship he had with will smith, who. Jan 12, 2017 will smith puts on the gloves and steps between the ropes as ali, arguably the most fascinating personality in sports history in this biopic from academy award nominated director michael mann. Will smith captures ali perfectly and just as i remember his brashness at a critical phase of his life. Muhammad ali holds the torch before lighting the olympic flame during the opening ceremony of the. Will smith and jamie foxxali 2001 official trailer 1 will smith moviea biography of sports legend muhammad ali, focusing on his. Will smith is muhammad ali, primarily because he has worked to make ali s voice and inflections his own.
Retrospective documentary charting the rise and fall of muhammad ali. One of the most iconic figures in athletic history, muhammad ali s incredible story from world champion boxer to inspiring social activist is explored through his own voice and neverbeforeseen archival material. Will smith jamie foxx jon voight mario van peebles ron silver jeffrey wright mykelti williamson jada pinkett smith nona. Ali is a 2001 american biographical sports drama film written, produced and directed by michael mann. Alis biggest match, his fight with the us government. Ali 2001 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Its time to revisit ali, will smiths knockout boxing biopic wired. The film focuses on ten years in the life of the boxer muhammad ali, played by will smith, from 1964 to 1974. Muhammad ali and will smith sat down with oprah winfrey on her talk show in 2001 to discuss the actors starring role in ali, the rrated drama which chronicled the. Will smith and jamie foxx ali 2001 official trailer 1 will smith movie a biography of sports legend muhammad ali, focusing on his triumphs and controversies between 1964 and 1974.
With eddie butler, jamillah ali, lonnie ali, maryum ali. Boxing magazine the ring named him number one in a 1998 ranking of greatest heavyweights from all eras. Will smith played muhammad ali in the boxers eponymous biopic, and now 15 years later, hes paying tribute to the late legend the 47yearold actor took to facebook on saturday, sharing two. Fuqua obligingly banishes the memory of will smith s ali biopic and aspires to the poetry of when we were kings, leon gasts oscarwinning 1996 documentary about ali and george foremans rumble in. Fuqua obligingly banishes the memory of will smiths ali biopic and aspires to the poetry of when we were kings, leon gasts oscarwinning 1996 documentary about. Ali michael mann, will smith, jamie foxx, jon voight, watch.
Ali s biggest match, his fight with the us government. Sonys ali, the muhammad ali biopic starring will smith, will return to theaters this weekend in limited release as an homage. From cassius clay to king of the ring, the heavyweight champion bobs and weaves through controversies and victories amid turbulent times in this biopic. Will smith is muhammad ali, primarily because he has worked to make alis voice and inflections his own. One of the most iconic figures in athletic history, muhammad alis incredible story from world champion boxer to inspiring social activist is explored through his own voice and neverbeforeseen archival material. How much longer is the movie than the original film. Will smith plays ali, from 1964, when he won the world heavyweight championship as cassius clay, to 1974, when as muhammad ali he came back to fight and defeat, reclaiming his title, a heavily favored george foreman in the rumble in the jungle in zaire. Though perhaps no film could fully do justice to the. With will smith, jamie foxx, jon voight, mario van peebles. December 25, 2001 superstar will smith men in black gives the performance of his career as boxing legend muhammad ali in an amazing epic. Ali both ignited and mirrored the conflicts of his time and ours to become one of the most admired fighters in the world. Jada pinkett smith on playing will smiths movie wife. Muhammad ali is regarded by boxing commentators and historians as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. Pinkett smith played alis first wife sonji roi in the film.
Like his fighting style, it can float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. A biography of sports legend muhammad ali, focusing on his triumphs and controversies. Watch muhammad ali and will smith discuss ali with oprah. Oct 08, 2017 comparisons between scenes from the movie ali 2001 with the real scenes from the life of muhammad ali. A film about the politics and hubris surrounding the vietnam war and the revenge exacted on americas greatest sportsman of the 20th century because he refused to fight in that war. Will smith and jamie foxx ali 2001 official trailer 1 will smith movie a biography of sports legend muhammad ali, focusing on. I dont know that it is any longer, because i took out alis fight against. Back in 2001, smith and ali sat down with oprah winfrey on. Muhammad ali 19422016 was an american former heavyweight champion boxer and one of the greatest sporting figures of the 20th century. With wit and athletic genius, with defiant rage and inner grace, muhammad ali forever changed the american landscape.
Considered by many to be the greatest heavyweight boxer ever, ali won 56 career matches to just 5 losses. Sep 07, 2011 muhammad ali vs george foreman round 8 knock out. The movie will return to theaters following the death of the sports legend, and smith who was nominated for an oscar for his portrayal of ali. The trials of muhammad ali, a documentary directed by bill siegel that focuses on ali s refusal of the draft during the vietnam war, opened in manhattan on august 23, 20. Fighting all comers, ali took on the law, conventions, the status quo and the war as well as the fists in front of him. Full text and audio mp3 and video of movie ali ali defends his decision not to participate in military draft induction. Other credited producers include paul ardaji and jon peters. In 1999, ali was named the second greatest boxer in history, pound for. Notoriously obsessive director michael mann and star will smith devoted nearly two years and over 100 million dollars from the coffers of columbia pictures and other financiers to creating this biography of boxing great muhammad ali, which focuses on the tenyear period of 19641974. Music underscores nearly every minute of the film, which seems at times to move less from scene to scene than song to song. In 1999, the associated press voted ali the number one heavyweight of the 20th century. Dec 25, 2001 and for all the rocky fans out there, the boxing scenes were a little played out.
Much of the buzz anticipated sizzle form mann and fizzle from smith, but the film delivers the opposite, with smiths charismatic muhammad ali wandering through a cold, emotionally barren cinematic landscape created by mann. Will smith and jamie foxx ali 2001 official trailer 1 will smith movie a biography of sports legend muhammad ali, focusing on his. Will smith on playing muhammad ali in 2001 movie ali. Ali 2001 official trailer 1 will smith movie youtube. He defeated lightheavyweight champs archie moore and bob. With bill cosby, jim brown, kareem abduljabbar, diana ross. Will smith is muhammad ali, primarily because he has worked to make alis voice and. The best role in the acting career of will smith is undoubtedly when he. Following an ali chant from the audience, winfrey asked the sports star about smiths portrayal of him in the film.
With christopher plummer, frank langella, ed begley jr. But for those simply looking for a muhammad ali movieand a way to revisit his extraordinary, hardfought lifeits often thrillingly, appropriately. Jun 04, 2016 a film focused on alis first attempt to regain his professional boxing heavyweight title. He was also known for his brave public stance against the vietnam war. Michael manns film biography ali had one of the most hyperactive soundtracks in memory. A 20 madefortv movie titled muhammad ali s greatest fight dramatized the same aspect of ali s life. Muhammad ali vs george foreman round 8 knock out youtube. Feb 23, 2016 jamie foxx will play mike tyson in upcoming bio.
The film focuses on ten years in the life of the boxer muhammad ali, played by will smith, from 1964 to 1974, featuring his capture of the heavyweight title from sonny liston, his conversion to islam, criticism of the vietnam war, and. Ali, the highly anticipated biopic directed by michael mann and starring will smith, is a film filled with odd choices, including in the soundtrack itself. Ali superstar will smith men in black gives the performance of his career as boxing legend muhammad ali in an amazing epic drama from academy awardnominated director michael mann best director, the insider, 1999. Muhammad ali is regarded by boxing commentators and historians as the greatest professional boxer of all time. Ali 2001 will smith as cassius clay, muhammad ali imdb. Ever since manns miami vice days, his stylistically diverse, richly textured, and often dark musical selections have done as much to set the tone for his projects. While she loved the final product, initially pinkett smith did not think she was the right person for the role.
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