I think this is why the movie flopped and is generally disliked. There's such a grim tone present throughout the movie. And Smith just looks constipated and/or angry in every scene.
The reality was the exact opposite, Ali was a jovial man and his electric personality spread joy everywhere he went. A total misstep from Mann.
Your comment sums up the movie perfectly. Muhammad Ali was a fun man in real life (even if you didn't agree with him). This movie is not fun at all.
And worst of all, Will Smith is a talented comedic actor and the filmmakers failed to capitalize on that.
The most definitive movie about Ali is "When We Were Kings".
Seductively, may have resulted in "The Slap", sadly as well.
shareIt wasn't generally disliked. Who are you to make that claim? A 6.7 /10 is pretty high for any film on IMDB. I remember enjoying it when it came out, and it helped revive interest in Ali for a new generation, my self, who were not alive to see any of his fights, or see him in his "hayday" . That's what this film did good, because for me being born in '89, if it wasn't for this film I might not even have heard of Ali for many more years. As for the tone, I found it fitting. Boxing is a rough sport, it's not exactly a fairy tale life.
A boxing movie that was all joyous, full of jovial overtones? I don't think that would fit, or be that entertaining. Unless you just wanted something like Rocky... but I dont think that would work in a movie about Ali.
You're an idiot. Go watch real life Ali interviews, he was an incredibly jovial man. Smith with his furrowed brow and constipated expression is something you rarely saw Ali do. Vast majority of the time he's joking and smiling. Even in the ring he'd often mess about, doing the Ali shuffle and messing around.
This movie sucks and so does your take on it. I'm a similar age to you and I knew about Ali way before this piece of shit from When We Were Kings and countless other documentaries.
I don't really care what you think of my opinion; it doesn't matter, it's just an opinion.
Who are you the ultimate spokesperson of whether a film is good or not, for all filmmaking?? It seems like you think you are.. Also, no need to call me an "idiot" You don't have to agree with me, but no need resort to personal insults, when I never did anything of the sort.
That being said, films like any art, are subjective, there is no definitive answer of what is a 'good' film, there are only a wide range of views and opinions, there's lists of top 10, top 100 films, but those are never agreed on.
And if you ever learned anyting from the IMDB boards, film viewers don't agree , on virtually anything.
The actor and character of Apollo Creed was based off Ali, his characterization was the perfect portrayal of Ali. Even Ali said Creed is him.
6.7 is OK but not considered good by many, a film has to be an 8/10 to be considered good by many viewers looking for a new film to watch.
Oh I too was born after Ali's boxing hayday but I had heard of him prior, just like I've heard of Babe Ruth, Michaelangelo, Mozart.
Biopics generally go behind the curtain, under the surface.
I guess the writers thought his comedic act was just the surface.
The thing with Ali is even when he hurls insults or boasts, there's a glint in his eye and a smile about to break on his lips because it was all purposeful bravado and boasting, not out of malice or aggression. There is a charisma running through it all, so you see him more as cocky than arrogant. You enjoy his insults because they're so colorful and done in a cheeky way, not in an angry black man stereotype way.
Smith is usually charismatic but he didn't bring it here, maybe Mann is to blame. But Mann is usually an amazing director where Pacino's charisma shines in his films so why cant Smith? Maybe they needed a black director who loved boxing and Ali, and understood the culture more. Like Coppola did for tgf films, prior to him, they had wasps and jews play and direct italian gangster films.