Muhammad Ali: The Man, the Moves, the Mouth

Narrated by late boxing writer Bert Sugar, this documentary serves up a fine overview of the life, times, and career of heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Clay. Beginning with Ali's roots as a promising teen amateur in Louisville, KY, the film briskly touches on every one of his 61 fights (56 wins, 5 losses), beginning in 1960 (following a gold medal triumph at the Summer Olympics) through his retirement in 1981. The pivotal bouts (against Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, etc.) are covered in detail, including the amazing events surrounding the Zaire contest with Foreman (the famed “Rumble in the Jungle”). The story of America's love-hate relationship with Ali and the controversies over his conversion to Islam, his draft resistance during the Vietnam War, and his boastful clowning persona are also covered here, as well as his post-retirement role on the world stage as a humanitarian symbol who has been slowed but not stalled by Parkinson's disease. Boxing fans will appreciate the archival fight footage here, which underscore what made Ali so good in the ring: speed, strength, arm reach, and smarts. Recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)