Thrilla in Manila

Officially LicensedHighest Quality RecordingWill Smith, Jamie Foxx. The life of Muhammad Ali from 1965 through 1974 takes new form in Michael Mann's excellent biopic about The Greatest." 2001/color/157 min/R/widescreen.Ali is a rush of charm, violence, and well-crafted mythmaking sure to enthrall. From the unforgettable surge of the opening--a 10-minute montage of sheer brilliance where formative scenes from the early life of Cassius Clay float along on the rapture of a live performance by Sam Cooke in a Harlem nightclub--through to Muhammad Ali's departure for Zaire to fight George Foreman, Michael Mann's homage is mostly crisp and fleet-footed. As Clay/Ali, Will Smith acquits himself marvelously due in large part to his uncanny re-creation...

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