Four star

THIS biopic of the heavyweight legend was widely lauded by critics at the box office.

And rightly so. As a piece of cinematic entertainment it is a joy to watch as Will Smith, all 220lbs of him, takes on the role with huge success.

The film tackles Ali's life in and out of the ring for a decade - starting with his first 1964 professional heavyweight match against Sonny Liston and building up to the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle against George Forman in Zaire.

The fights themselves are well shot and very convincing.

But they take a back seat to his private life. It touches on his early friendship with Malcolm X to his involvement with the controversial Nation of Islam and the Vietnam draft-dodging scandal. His womanising also features quite heavily.

Although it is two and a half hours long, there is so much to say about this legend that the surface is barely scratched and characters cannot fully be explored.

But his story still makes for a compelling film of which director Michael Mann and Will Smith should be proud.

The extras on the second disc include a behind-the-scenes and the making of Ali along with the usual trailers etc.

SC