Retro Review: Lionheart (1990)

Lionheart aka A.W.O.L: Absent Without Leave/Leon

1990

Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Harrison Page, Deborah Renard, Brian Thompson, Michel Quissi, Billy Blanks 

Genre: Action Martial Arts

Worldwide Box Office Gross: over £24 million

Plot: An ex-French soldier begins participating in underground street fights to make money for his brother's family

'Bloodsport - Only Better'

Lionheart was Jean-Claude Van Damme's fourth major billing after Bloodsport, Cyborg and Kickboxer, with the story written by Van Damme himself and who plays Lyon Gautier (no relation to Jean-Paul Gautier). Gautier escapes from the Legion in a region in North Africa/France and initially heads off to America to avenge his brother's attack. When he arrives, he helps pay the sister-in-law's bills and support her youngest daughter. He is also on the run from two blokes of the French Foreign Legion who intend to get hold of Lyon. 

Released at the beginning of the 1990s decade, & just before Van Damme hit his peak with 1992's Universal Soldier and a year on Hard Target, Lionheart is directed by Sheldon Lettich. Lettich went on to direct the entertaining Double Impact, Only the Strong and the disaster which is The Hard Corps to name.  

Lionheart is more drama first, action second, & it plays out like a version of Kickboxer meets Rocky IV, but with a fish-out-of-water storyline built-in. It is a lot more earnest than Van Damme's latter flicks. It's light on action but heavy on the story and showcases more of his acting chops - which has been a persistent criticism of his film career. Van Damme humanizes Leon and he comes across as not as invincible, but down-to-earth and modest. He has a conscious. The story itself, whilst argued, is pretty rote, bears some weight and is relatively decent as it progresses.

One thing Lionheart and Van Damme didn't capitalize on was making 80s' action B-movie actor Brian Thompson fight Van Damme in a final battle.

Thompson's sharp-suited character was a sidekick who talked more and fought less and it was a missed opportunity to see them square off in a fight, whilst capitalist rich b**** Cynthia was the villainess (that character appears to be a take on Brigette Nielsen in Rocky IV). 

Also in this movie was Michel Quissi - the original Tung Po of the first Kickboxer film, and Quissi here as his character looks, well, your average guy in a suit as one of the French foreign legion guys. His brother also appears, and he fights Van Damme at the end fight.

Fight scenes look scrappier and rougher and are not the usual flashy shenanigans of Van Damme's '90s efforts such as Double Impact, Hard Target, and Universal Soldier. It is less reliant on kicks. Does this alone make it any more inferior? Absolutely not. However, in the context of the story, Leon takes part in these illegal underground street fights to make money for his sister-in-law, Helene, a single mother and daughter, Nicole, Leon's niece, and to give them a better quality of life. But he is not doing this alone, as he enlists a street hustler Joshua to act as his manager. 

Compared to his other films, including the direct- to- DVD cheapo efforts, this Van Damme film has a lot of heart, and it was a total surprise: I didn't think I would enjoy it, but I ended up feeling the opposite, thanks to the added characters besides Leon. Had it not been for them and for them elevating this film further, I would enjoy it less. The melodrama and family angle also pushes the story forward, and that resonates more than the fights, which act as a backdrop. If the fights are the backdrop to Lionheart, then the family angle is the backbone of this film. 

It's earnest, never over-the-top and engaging from beginning to end and the runtime is perfect. The performances are very good, and because of that, it makes the melodrama feel believable, with Van Damme showing some range in his performance. Having him play a character that he wrote that is not one-dimensional but who has a lot to say and having a character that has depth as a human being and person and not just someone who kicks the crap out of people, is interesting to see. 

Van Damme's Rocky, yet way, way superior to The Hard Corps, Lionheart is far more reserved than any of Jean-Claude Van Damme's other films. Many people will look down on this as being silly and too toned down for their liking and prefer a more macho Muscles from Brussels. 

For me, this is much better than it has any right to be. 

Final Verdict:

Bloodsport put Van Damme on the action map alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, but with Lionheart, whilst it isn't as recognised as Universal Soldier and Kickboxer, it is sincere and still works as a crowd-pleaser in the same vein as Rocky. As well as one that I might take over Kickboxer and Bloodsport when it comes to competitive fighting movies, as the fish-out-of-water setting gives it that edge.

Lionheart may not offer much, yet with a simple and effective story and an intriguing set of characters, it turns out to be one of JCVD's best. 

Overall: 

Mini Movie Review: Whitney (2015) #badmovies

Whitney

2015

Biography 

From Britney to Whitney and other biographical offerings, Lifetime movies have been pretty terrible, and it is no record that Whitney's family made no secret of their loathing towards this one. Oddly, it jumps straight into the late 1980s where she broke out with I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Too much about Bobby Brown (this is a film that is supposed to be about Whitney, after all), also Deborah Cox is a fantastic singer, but why have her or anyone else sing Whitney's songs? Doesn't make sense, whatsoever. There is a glaring omission of the darker details of Whitney and Bobby's troubled relationship, i.e., the domestic assaults, and the sex scenes, are, well... (and what is with the choice of reggae music playing as they have sex in one of them?) A stiff, low budget film - directed by none other than Angela Bassett, shock horror - that skimps out on the most important and crucial moments and successes of Whitney's life and career and focusing on her ups and downs with Bobby Brown and presenting Whitney in a negative light, and one that is exploitative. Whitney Houston fans will be unimpressed when and after they see this. I'm hoping the upcoming I Wanna Dance with Somebody will be the movie that will do justice to Whitney's pop legacy, - unlike Whitney, well make that Whitney and Bobby. More like propping up Bobby Brown and playing down Whitney.

Is It Worth Watching?

I came for Whitney, but what I got was Whitney's lows, and Bobby. Don't bother

Overall:

Retro Review: Mortal Thoughts (1991)

Mortal Thoughts

1991

Cast: Demi Moore, Glenne Headly, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel 

Genre: Neo-Noir Thriller

Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $18 million 

Plot: Two detectives interrogate a hairdresser on two homicides she may or may not have been involved in 

'Better Than I Thought It Would Be'

Alan Rudolph may not be a name familiar to most people; as an associate of Robert Altman's, his filmography consists of B-movies and non-typical Hollywood films very few have come across before. Mortal Thoughts is the most commercial offering to date of his still in his take on domestic violence and one that manages to be engaging through its plot, but it is, unfortunately, let down by the unraveling of the culprit that makes little to no sense to the viewer, whatsoever. 

Two working-class gals/ friends who run a beauty parlour in New Jersey, New York, make a mess out of a situation that goes wrong; their husbands, however, are arguably two of the worst characters in the film: one is a calm-yet boorish salesman, the other is an abusive, obnoxious lout who is also an alcoholic. The women discuss killing James (Bruce Willis) and getting away with it, as he was a criminal and abusive. One of the men gets killed and cops are trying to get to the bottom of who did it, by interrogating Moore's character, Cynthia.

Considered bleak and cold by critics when it was released in 1991, watching it today it works much better on the small screen. Mortal Thoughts feels more like a made-for-TV film, judging by the way it comes across and as the film progresses, its neo-noir-Esque, murder-mystery story, which goes back-& forth, becomes engaging. Yes, it feels tawdry and yet Randolph takes the material, and the characters and manages to get the best out of those aspects, as well as out of Moore and Headley. The bits and pieces of Cynthia's version of events come together to form an intricate- yet conflicting whole, up until the ending, and one that I didn't like, which let the film down. In her self-defence, she was innocent; I wished the film had stressed this part. 

Performance-wise, as Demi Moore's follow-up to Ghost, she completely nails it, and her character has a tad more depth by comparison. With bigger hair, her role as Cynthia was a complete departure, after coming off the back of her success in Ghost; spirited but also it was a compelling performance that has never been bettered, before and after Mortal Thoughts. Glenne Headly was also a tour-de-force, whilst a low-key turn by Harvey Keitel was impressive. Bruce Willis was okay, but his character was a total douche and obnoxious; still, it made an interesting change to see him play someone we couldn't root for. 

Final Verdict:

Suffice it to say as Modern film noirs go, Mortal Thoughts has its surprises and is occasionally tense, with moments that kept me intrigued. 

It's underrated for sure.

Overall:

Movie Review: Boiling Point (2021)

Boiling Point

2021

Cast: Stephen Graham, Vinette Robinson, Alice May Feetham, Hannah Walters, Malachi Kirby

Genre: Drama

Plot: Enter the relentless pressure of a restaurant kitchen as a head chef wrangles his team on the busiest day of the year 

'A Gripping & Engrossing One-Take Must- See For Those Who Have An Interest In, Or Work In Any Line of Service and Food Service Industry

Directed and co-written by Philip Barantini, Boiling Point is Hell's Kitchen on steroids as one restaurant owner & head chef, Andy experiences the most unexpected night of service of his career in this eclectic - yet raw and unbelievably engrossing & unflinching drama, thanks to the engaging characters and stimulative direction. 

Andy arrives one evening on a busy shift, sleepless and fraught and discovers his ex-boss & celebrity chef, Alistair has booked a table at his eatery. As the customers fill up and orders pile up, tensions run high, or be it higher as disagreements, staff fallouts and clashes, an unexpected visit from a health inspector and bickering threaten to ruin the entire night; all that, plus Andy has difficulty maintaining his composure as he tries to hide his drug addiction and extramarital woes.  

The film manages to keep the dramatics going for 90 minutes in a single take, thus serving to highlight the challenges and difficulties people who work in the service industry in real-life do encounter themselves in understaffing issues, unexpected inspection visits and easily irate customers.

Henceforth, anyone who has ever worked in McDonald's', KFC, or any type of restaurant or eatery can easily relate to the characters and problems that can arise in a highly pressurized working environment. Whereby mental and emotional stress can take a substantial toll on people. Working in the food court at Costco myself, Boiling Point resonates and speaks to me on so many levels many of the points it makes ring true. You have your good days and bad days, at one-minute things are going well, the next they are not; it can feel like (dis)organised chaos, and in contrast to working in retail or any other department where you might be working independently, with this one, working relationships, in addition to personal relationships are as dysfunctional and put to the test. People with varying personalities, some of whom you don't see eye to eye with have to pull together and help each other out as a team to provide a quality customer service. Boiling Point nails this part and the hospitality aspect realistically, when another similar type of movie of this theme might struggle to do so.

There have been a few movies like Chef but Boiling Point is something else and is on an entirely different level, which also deserves extra credit for boldly, fearlessly and candidly illustrating the pitfalls and highs of working in the catering industry with passion and weight. I was awaiting a film with a subject matter and theme such as this that not only highlighted such issues but also spoke for me and millions of other people who do this or have done this type of work in their field. In discovering there was a movie titled Boiling Point and one made in Britain, immediately it piqued my curiosity. 

Stephen Graham, who was in the Elton John biopic, Rocket Man, creates an intimate experience on working in what is a cutthroat business: and an industry that is far from revered by many (& is to this day seeing high staff turnover) as workers manage to stay strong, motivated and composed under such immense strain. The performances themselves and across the board are terrific and so naturalistic, the camerawork drifts in different directions and focuses on lesser and smaller characters, as well as the main one, Andy and the script, Stephen Graham's turn and the food theme will draw in audiences.   

An astutely produced effort, Boiling Point sees chefs on the brink of breaking point, whilst it faithfully depicts the scenes and drama occurring behind the counter when the customers are out of view, and the one-shot approach works; it makes it unrelentingly recognisable, as well as relatable right from the bat: from the so-called self-entitled customers, in the passionate, highly demanding and not so empathetic bosses to the hard-working chefs, dishwashers who are belittled for their efforts by some of their peers. You feel as you watch this you are in the film itself, picturing yourself as a paying customer or as one of Andy's cooks and immersing yourself amid all the chaos and drama; talk about fine dining when working in a hectic, fast-paced restaurant, the day is anything, but fine. 

Final Verdict:

Some may argue it could have been less bleak, but personally, the level of bleakness that is conveyed was fitting. 

With the night fully imploding in front of Andy's, the staff and the audiences' eyes, it alone makes Boiling Point one of the must-see compelling films, & moreover dramas of & from 2022. 

Overall: 

Movie Review: Boogie (2021)

Boogie

2021

Cast: Taylor Takahashi, Taylour Paige, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Bashar 'Pop Smoke' Jackson, Pamelyn Chee, Eddie Huang

Genre: Drama

Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $4 million

Plot: A basketball prodigy tries to balance his dream of playing in the NBA with his traditional East Asian family's expectations from him to earn a scholarship & join a prestigious college 

'Huang B' Ball Flick Got No Game'

I find it hard to believe that no one could find a Chinese American actor to play a character of Chinese descent, because I'm sure there are one or two actors who would have fit the bill: *cough* MC Jin, and whilst he is a rapper, he can also act & whom is also a basketball fan. Taylor Takahashi looks distinctly Chinese, but who is Japanese. Fresh off the Boat producer, Eddie Huang penned the screenplay, as well as directed this indie-based sports film, which sadly tanks. Boogie concerns a young, highly skilful and talented Chinese American high schooler, Alfred 'Boogie' Chin and his attempts to obtain a college scholarship. 

Takahashi struggles and he and Paige struggle to emit chemistry, and their romance is not believable, whereas the dialogue is occasionally poorly done (mother: ''what's wrong with this chair? it looks like f***'' - like really?). Whilst I respect that Eddie Huang tries and that Boogie - his directorial feature film debut - is his passion project, issues and themes surrounding Asian American identity, identity politics and defying the model minority stereotype do not get a proper look in. The parents are (stereo)typically Asian with the stern, tiger mum who is verbally and physically abusive and the dad is on parole. Honestly, not one character in this film was likeable and taking away their racial make-up, are one-dimensional in terms of personality. As for the basketball culture and African-Americans relationship with the sport, despite having two Black characters, Boogie says practically nothing from the Black perspective, as well as the interracial relationships involving and between Blacks and Asians, and seeks to reinforce the idea that Blacks are culpable of being racist towards Asians. 

''We lost the war, that's why we're here. That's why we're second-rate citizens in a country that resents us... we never expected to have freedom, independence, inequality, or any of these things you ABCs (American Born Chinese) expected to have in this country''.  

Also, an extra one mark gets deducted for Boogie complimenting a girl's vagina in a gym & trashing real-life athlete, Jeremy Lin; of whom regardless of your views of him as a player, made history by being the first Asian American player in the NBA. 

Additionally, the basketball scenes were, okay at best, but are nothing to write home. 

Boogie existed to cater to Pop Smoke fans - yet funnily for a movie aimed at Asian American and Asian audiences by an Asian American writer and director and with an Asian American actor in the lead role, Boogie is effectually aimless, is stylistically void and doesn't and wouldn't resonate well with many Asian, as well as general moviegoers and audiences. 

It lacks any meaningful and purposeful discussion with regards to dismantling the model minority myth, as I had no emotional attachment to any of the characters. Being Asian myself, I thought that maybe being the main character, Boogie might be it, but he is underwhelming & as mentioned, like with the rest, he just wasn't likeable enough. 

Final Verdict:

Had the film centered on the relationship between Boogie and his parents, it would make it more worthwhile and engaging. But alas, it turns out to be rudimentary. Going into the film, I had high expectations after being wooed by the trailer, which intrigued me. So it is a shame that the actual end product doesn't suffice. Boogie is a film ripe for bold conversation when it comes to talking points surrounding race, race and sport and shattering stereotypes of Asian people, - but the film chickens out by not addressing these points. 

The one thing Eddie Huang has managed to land is those Adidas product endorsements. 

Overall: 

 

Retro Review: Hair Show (2004)

Hair Show
2004

Cast: Mo'Nique, Kelita Smith, Gina Torres, David Ramsey, Taraji P. Hensen, Keiko Agena, Cee Cee Michaela, Reagan Gomez-Preston 

Genre: Comedy Drama 

U.S Box Office Gross: over $305,000

Plot: A hairdresser and her estranged sister reunite when Peaches travels to Beverly Hills to work in her sister's salon and fend off a rival salon owner 7 vying for a big cash prize at the town's annual hair show 

'Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow'

A low-budget comedy set in the world of hairdressing, Hair Show was originally titled, Beauty Shop -, but the title was changed to avoid a legal clash with Billie Woodruff's 2005's Beauty Shop, distributed by MGM that was released the year after Hair Show came out and was Leslie Small's directorial debut and opened to only eight U.S cities on October 15, 2004. UrbanWorks Entertainment, which alleged to have had the bragging rights to the title Beauty Shop, renamed the film Hair Show, at the cost of $3.5 million. Interestingly, former NBA star, Magic Johnson acted as the executive director of the film. 

Small went on to direct such movies as Undercover Brother 2, Holiday Rush, as well as numerous stand-up comedies from the likes of Steve Harvey, Eddie Griffin and Kevin Hart.

Two estranged sisters who haven't spoken to each other since their grandmother died, are also hairdressers reuniting in L.A. Grandma left $75k to Angela, whilst Peaches had to make do with a bible.; a sassy stylist, Peaches travels to Hollywood when the IRS shows up and asks her to pay $50k in back taxes. Alas, in an effort to pay off these debts, the sisters enter an annual pageant, 'hair show' with $50k up for grabs.  

Hair Show has more going for it in terms of story, well it tries to; although there is more of an ensemble presence going on with Beauty Shop, and Hair Show is less fun as it focuses on being a serial drama, with the added sibling rivalry sub-plot, and lacking the fun and cast quality of the former that Beauty Shop possesses. Gina Torres is probably the weaker link with an unconvincing villaness turn that sort of resembles Vanessa Williams' Wilhelmina Stater from Ugly Betty. Mo'Nique tries, whereas Kelita Smith fares a little better with a performance that was stronger than the rest of the cast, of whom were caricatures and aren't much to behold. However, I was disappointed at the writers mishandling Angela's romance subplot, and that I felt they did that character, and Smith's performance a little disservice. It left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. I didn't sense the chemistry of these characters; something that Beautyshop had. Fans and viewers of the Queen Latifah-led, Beauty Shop will immediately recognise Bryce Wilson; however his character in Hair Show, Drake is pompous and not as likeable as James in Beauty Shop. 

In an early turn, Taraji P. Henson makes a lively impression, but I wasn't keen on the Asian girl character - I wasn't bothered that she had braids, I didn't like that she had to have an accent and speak broken English. I would have preferred if that character was Asian American instead and spoke with a natural American accent. The stereotyping in this film was evident, but in that character, Jun Ni was a bad Asian stereotype. 

The romance storylines didn't work, whilst the hairdressing-based scenes worked much better than the rest of the scenes. 

Final Verdict: 

Beautyshop may not be on par with the Barbershop films, - however, it is streets ahead of Hair Show, which is a Z-movie knock-off. Towards the end, the story wears thin and for a so-called film labelled as a comedy, there just wasn't more of those light-hearted and feel-good scenes Hair Show needed. 

A somewhat pale imitation of Beautyshop, it's not horrible or unwatchable; it is serviceable at best and not a film one would rewatch every once in a while. 

Overall:

Retro Review: Hustle & Flow (2005)

Hustle & Flow

2005

Cast: Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, Taraji P. Henson, DJ Qualls, Ludacris, Elise Neal, Isaac Hayes 

Genre: Drama

Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $23 million

Plot: With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip hop emcee

'One Of The Few Fulfilling Music-Based Movie Dramas'

A hip-hop themed rags-to-riches drama that plays out like Pretty Woman meets Cadillac Records and 8 Mile, Hustle & Flow was a deserved winner at the Sundance Film Festival & is directed by writer-director, Craig Brewer. Whilst 8 Mile walked a line between realism and being a musical artist, the film starred an established rapper in Eminem. Hustle & Flow is in the same vein as the former movie as a character redemption & underdog study - only it is harsher, grittier and rougher around the edges but with actor, Terrance Howard, who beforehand, wasn't and isn't known for playing so-called anti-heroes and truly despicable bad guys. 

& still, Hustle and Flow possessed that energy and spirit of what being a music artist is all about, in his/her attempts at making it big, whilst at the same time, depicting the harsh realities of living through the ghetto slums of the deep down dirty South. Bought by MTV films and released through Paramount, the title of the film paints a portrait of the world of hustling & surviving through the 'Hustle' part and the term, 'flow' alludes to rapping itself. 

Terrence Howard is at his sheer best, and he has never been as better as he is here with a performance that far outstrips his other roles and one that showcases his rap skills and acting talent; he inhabits this character with a swagger and a natural ability and so could easily convince as a rapper with his flows and rap delivery of his lines. A pimp by day (or be it night) in a small town in Memphis, DJay exploits women and often acts like a thug and treats them like dirt -, and yet, by nature, he is not a callous and evil person who lacks compassion and empathy. He is having a mid-life crisis; with that, in a last-ditch attempt, Djay sees music as his way out of it. With the help of a few hookers, a stripper who has a son from a previous marriage and a chance encounter with technician friend, Key & a sound mixer, DJay puts together his material and seizes the opportunity, while impressing a famous hip hop artist, Skinny Black (played by rapper Ludacris aka Chris Bridges) who has arrived in town. Both Taryn Manning and Taraji P. Henson as pregnant Shug benefit with worthwhile performances as the prostitutes in DJay's life, whereas Anthony Anderson was impressive in a much- toned down role, compared to his general comedy-based turns, but it is Howard, himself, who as the lead, runs away with the film. The performances, all-around, encompass so much depth due to the dynamically layered characters', and also it allows the audience to feel for and empathize with them & their hardships.

What makes Hustle and Flow stand out from the pack of many other music-related films is the authenticity in its portrayal of hip hop which isn't sugar-coated and Brewer's direction that whilst it is raw and has that indie-like feel, it is still entertaining & hugely compelling with a great soundtrack and a narrative in tandem with Djay's growing confidence behind the mic. It could be said that Hustle & Flow isn't really about actual music (I would digress) and more about DJ, who, at the beginning of the film, is someone you'd loathe and the story is more about him transitioning towards being a better person & to fulfil his life long dream. The hip hop rap theme which is interwoven into the subtexts of prostitution and narcotics is done in an energetic way that allows the audience to have a better understanding of and respect for and towards rap and what it embodies and what it highlights to audiences, especially those who are unfamiliar with or aren't fans of hip hop.  

A formulaic story, this one makes every attempt not to follow in the same path as so many music-based drama films as it descends towards the darker and grittier territory, but also there is a heart lying within the story and a glimpse that as much as things can get desperate and murkier, there is also light and hope, as long as s/he keeps believing in it. Through this, it prevents Hustle & Flow from being relentlessly grim and tawdry, which would have been too much to endure for many people -, & probably for me.

Final Verdict:

For music lovers, and more so hip hop and rap lovers, this film is and has to be up there as one of the best onscreen representations of the rap game and sub-culture; Hustle & Flow is massively underrated it was truly worth it for me and stands up as one of the most fulfilling, sincere and gratifying music-based features I've sat through, both fictional & non-fictional-wise. 

 

Overall:

Retro Review: Ali (2001)

Ali

2001

Cast: Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Silver, Jeffrey Wright, Jada Pinkett-Smith

Genre: Biographical Sports Drama

Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $87 million

 

Plot: A biography of sports legend, Muhammad Ali focusing on his triumphs and controversies between 1964 and 1974

 

'Boxing Biopic That Doesn't Fly Like A Butterfly, Nor Sting Like A Bee'

By all accounts, a biographical film on sports legend, Muhammad Ali, Ali chronicles the life of heavyweight boxing champion, formerly known as Cassius Clay, from his first-ever in-ring fight, subsequent doomed and short-lived relationships up to his conversion to Islam and the infamous Rumble in the Jungle' bout with George Foreman.

When Ali tanked at the box office and missed winning best actor for Ali, (Will) Smith spent the next two decades on sequels and a stream of popcorn, mainstream fodder that turned out to be duds - IRobot, Hancock, After Earth, Suicide Squad and recently, 2019's Gemini Man & Bright, as well as flirting with Scientology.

Haphazard and brazen, excluding the boxing scenes, Ali is undeservedly long-winded and bloated and but for the short spells involving his relationships with the three women he comes across, I was utterly disconnected with the story, which didn't attempt to pull me in, but rather bore me to death and omitting any insightful events and aspects of Ali's career and personal life; speaking of which, the film's telling of events is both sluggish and unengaging and lacks what the real Muhammad Ali possessed: firepower and character, -something Will Smith's portrayal cannot tap into. Smith is an entertainer, a good actor when the right movie and character role comes along; back in 2001, this was deemed by many as the breakout role of his career, as he tried as he might to cement his position as a leading Hollywood actor; fast forward 20 years on unfortunately, despite his efforts as one of the greatest boxers of all-time, Smith appears to be miscast. I wasn't watching Muhammad Ali onscreen - I was watching Will Smith impersonating Muhammad Ali and this is exemplified by his deep voice. I actually liked this Ali less, the longer the film went on. 

Michael Mann aims for style over substance, and being flashy and showy. This should have been extraordinary as a film; whilst it tries its best, instead it settles for ordinary - and ordinary doesn't cut it when it comes to Ali's legacy. The ending is plausible, but it doesn't make up for the lack of depth that it has. The performances just about save this from being what would otherwise be a poor movie. 

Whilst the extra mark I give seems generous, Ali should have amounted to something special, explosive and memorable. & unfortunately, it didn't. The script (courtesy of the writers of the remake of A Star is Born, Forrest Gump, Heat and Nixon) ought to have brought out the best out of the cast - had it been better developed.

Muhammad Ali has landed many punches towards his opponents in the ring, - yet contrary to that, this biopic, due to Michael Mann's style, & Smith's inability to convey Ali's charisma, doesn't make inroads in ways that I expected it to have; thus forth, this bog-standard drama doesn't manage to land that much-needed knockout blow.   

Gripping and provocative, it was thus certainly by any means not.    

 

 

Final Verdict: 

Ali is Oscar bait, and still it didn't and doesn't make for a great movie.  

To me, this was a disappointment.

Overall: