Muhammad Ali

We all know how fantastic his life was and yet it's like a kid begging a parent to re-read the bedtime story over and over. The kid never gets tired of it and neither do I.

Could there be a more perfect athletic specimen than Ali at his blazing best?

He was witty, he was smart and he was genuinely likeable even as a braggart because you half knew he was doing it to sell tickets.

Remember? We used to watch his fights on 21 inch screens and be mesmerized , now we get to watch this documentary on giant screens with HDTV and it is even more amazing.

The speed with which he threw combinations and uppercuts, the way he dodged backwards to avoid haymakers by a fraction of a fraction, still has me gasping at the sheer impossibility of what he did. A heavyweight who fought like a welterweight, who was as fast as if not faster than, Sugar Ray Leonard, while weighing in 80lbs heavier.

Inside of this faster than light person was a flawed but honest individual, truly dedicated to his religious beliefs but giving in to the relentless adoration he received from females everywhere he went. Who else in his position wouldn't?

Ken Burns once again produces a masterpiece, even though there's not much new we find out about our hero.

I especially like the words from a poet in the final episode that describes Ali as a sorcerer, 'cos that's what he was; A skipping, shuffling sorcerer who could conjure up magic in the ring. He could destroy challengers and have us all laughing about the brutality afterwards.

But sadly , like all boxers.. he stayed at it too long. I don't care what they want to call it medically but in the end he was a punch drunk fighter. So hard to look at and so tragic a figure.

There will never be anyone who comes close to Muhammad Ali as an athlete or a personality and I am thankful that Ken Burns treated this story so well.

The ecstasy and the agony flow together like two rivers and if you're a fan of the person himself you'll find yourself tearing up on more than few occasions.

Well done Ken.

I've seen every documentary ever made on Ali. And I will say this is by far the best ever made. Ken Burns was born to make documentaries and he absolutely knocked this one out. It has more footage, more insightful information and behind the scene footage that has ever been shown in one show. Man this was so good. Keith David is probably the best narrator around today and he just is the icing on the cake. Any show that has Keith David narrating it I'm gonna watch. And Even if you don't like boxing, this series is so worth watching. No question this is the greatest Ali documentary of all time.

There is a lot of video that has been recorded of Ali over his lifetime and, because he was so loquacious, a lot of audio that accompanies it. Those are the best parts of this doco and always make for captivating entertainment. The bits about backgrounds to the fights are quite good but we do have to wonder how balanced the story telling is. The background on Ali's life seems very light with all sorts of women, houses, events popping up with little to explain any motivation about how Ali came to find himself in such situations.

A fascinating story of boxing and an average story of the boxer.

Of the over a dozen documentaries on the life of Ali -- which this reviewer has seen -- this is the best, the sharpest, the most nuanced. It deals albeit indirectly with the unspoken issue of whether Ali really was the best boxer ever (even at his peak) or whether it is what the Japanese call his "fighting spirit" which put him over the top. Fighting spirit may well be what kept this incredible man in the minds and hearts of the public for so many years. A similar story will hopefully be told one day about Elvis, also at one time the greatest in his chosen vocation, who similarly was forced by circumstances to give up his throne too early, and take a very different direction. (Eg., search "Dentons Benton 2011")

I have read and watched almost everything published about Cassius Marcellus Jr. Clay, and while in his early 20's later accepting the Islam name, Muhummad Ali. I can never read or see enough film about Ali's early life and trajectory to become not only a sports hero but a legend for mankind.

Ali has been photographed and interviewed more than any other man/woman in the past century. It may sound strange but I don't think of Muhummad Ali as a famous and successful.three (3) times Heavyweight Boxing Champion. I will always remember his speech when he was asked why he refuses to go to Vietnam and if he was prepared to go to jail if he continues to refuse to go to war and fight for his country. Over the next several decades Ali maintained steadfastly his religious beliefs and used his fame to the betterment of not only African Americans but to all children, men and women around the world.

This documentary series provides an excellent insight into not only the man Muhummad Alli, but also insight into the many people who were close to him and influenced him both as a father, friend, fighter and as a political and civil rights leader.

This is a must see documentary series narrated with perfection by actor Keith David that I will need to purchase when it becomes available.

I give the series a perfect 10 out of 10 IMDB rating.