--- title: "Ali: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/ali/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/ali" critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Ali (2001): what the critics said Critics' score 66 from 11 reviews: 5 positive, 5 mixed, 1 negative. The reviews lean positive, though not by much, and nearly all of them agree on where the credit belongs. Will Smith’s performance is praised almost everywhere, for the charm, the intelligence and the sharpness of the impersonation, and several critics call it the chief reason to watch. The other point of agreement is the fighting: the opening sequence and the staging of the first Liston bout are singled out repeatedly as the places where Michael Mann’s control and ambition pay off. The reservations cluster around what the film leaves out. Several critics find it narratively loose, too restrained, and short on insight into Ali’s inner life and politics, impressive to look at but shallow underneath. The spread is wide. The New Yorker calls it a unique achievement, while The Guardian offers only faint praise, and Slant finds it emotionally and politically thin. The Ringer, looking back years later, concludes the film cannot match the scale of the life it describes. ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). The critic calls the film a unique achievement. They praise Will Smith’s performance for capturing Ali’s sharp political temperament. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/ali) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The review describes Mann’s film as both visceral and immensely intelligent. It singles out the virtuoso opening and the climactic recreation for praise. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/ali) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 4/5. 22 February 2002. The review finds the film slick and engrossing, though it lacks narrative coherence and leaves important aspects of Ali’s life unexplored. It praises Will Smith’s performance and especially the poetic, epic boxing sequences. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/ali-review/) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Freer finds the film riveting and praises Mann’s controlled, ambitious biopic, despite some dramatic sections feeling flat. He especially singles out Will Smith’s convincing performance and the vivid boxing sequences. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/ali-review/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 3/4. 25 December 2001. Ebert regards the film as a substantial but imperfect portrait of Ali. He singles out Will Smith’s performance as a strength. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ali-2001) ## The New York Times — Elvis Mitchell Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 25 December 2001. The review text is unavailable, so its verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the accessible page. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/25/movies/film-review-master-of-the-boast-king-of-the-ring-vision-of-the-future.html) ## Radio Times — Jason Caro Rating 3/5. The review finds the biopic impressively mounted but less convincing when it tries to offer insight. It singles out Will Smith’s remarkable impersonation of Muhammad Ali as its chief strength. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-j37xa8/ali/) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 2/4. 7 November 2001. Gonzalez finds the film stylish but emotionally and politically shallow, with its relationships and timeline poorly developed. He praises a rare moment of insight in Ali’s recognition of his cultural stature, made palpable by Will Smith’s sensitive performance. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/ali/) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2001. McCarthy finds the film intelligent and compelling but overly restrained, leaving Ali’s exuberance and inner life underexplored. He praises Will Smith’s commanding portrayal and the film’s vivid staging of the first Liston fight. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2001/film/awards/ali-4-1200552228/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). Bradshaw offers faint praise, suggesting the biopic succeeds only in limited measure. He singles out Michael Mann’s direction and Will Smith’s charm and intelligence as reasons it works as well as it does. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/movie/89789/ali) ## The Ringer — Chris Ryan Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 6 June 2016. Ryan finds the film visually sumptuous but ultimately unable to match the scale of Ali’s life, while still making it a fitting tribute. He praises its opening sequence for capturing the convergence of Ali, Sam Cooke, Malcolm X, and the era’s larger history. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2016/06/05/movies/muhammad-ali-michael-mann-will-smith-movie-7871bb47b41a) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/ali.md