Don Movie Reviews

Having said that-and surprisingly enough since the director was Michael Mann (Miami Vice, Manhunter, Last of the Mohicans, Heat-and I can stop right there-those titles speak for themselves!)and Will Smith has a strong supporting cast-the movie lacked passion, zeal, and emotion. It ended up being a clearly staged movie, trying to cram an epic into a long film. The result was mixed at best, lacking in soul and spirit of the very man it sought to portray.

Usually its very difficult to have a person portray themself-and Muhammad Ali is not in the same league of acting as Will Smith. Nor does the movie, "The Greatest" have the immense supporting cast-though Ernest Borginine (Angelo Dundee) and others are noteworthy. However, the key to "The Greatest" is that the real people play themselves-they are just being themselves. The fights aren't staged-but are actual footage of the fights. The news conferences are the real drama, and the interactions with Ali are both real clips and recreations. Will Smith is a very funny actor-and it surprised me that the humor of Ali (and I mean the kind of humor that makes you laugh till it hurts)did not come out.

Seeing Muhammad Ali cracking jokes and seeing his humor is poignant-and an awesome experience. Seeing the real Bundini, its awesome. Now, I'm not saying the performances-in the acting since, or that the plot, in the Hollywood sense is strong. What I am saying is something that Bundini says in a clip from "When We Were Kings." To paraphrase, 'Muhammad Ali's life ain't no dang Hollywood movie...he's a real man, with challenges and obstacles to overcome, and unlike some script, we don't always feel good everyday, we gotta work hard at this thing to get it right, we gotta push ourselves to be the Champion for the People, and to not lose by taking it easy even when we want too.'

And my friends, that,to sum it up, is why seeing the shorter, choppier version (which does omit somethings the Will Smith movie either covers, speculates about, or just plain makes up)will leave you coming away so inspired, and so happy-and knowing at the basic level-that "The Greatest" is the better story.

The photos are masterful and breathtaking. They are colorful and moody. Don tells you where to go - and what time of day to be there -- to capture similar shots for yourself. He talks briefly about equipment and film without being too intimidating. The shots he takes are great - and he makes it all look so easy.

Since I live in California and have traveled up and down the coast extensively, most of the scenery in this video was very familiar to me. It brought back many fond memories of my own visits to these very magnificent places.

As extras, there's a slide show with more of Don Gale's California shots; an instructional section where he gives some tips on how to photograph Yosemite's Half Dome; an interview with Andrew Hudson that highlights Mr. Hudson's similar travel photo books; and a section pushing Don's own outdoor photography workshops.

The video clips along nicely and never gets boring. His before-and-after shots with-and-without filters were very illuminating. This is, overall, a very nice travel video - and instructional photo video - combined.

If you're planning to journey up the Central California Coast and take pictures - you'll probably find this DVD to be hugely inspirational. I certainly did!

Also of note in the cast is the always excellent Arthur Kennedy as the Midge's brother, whose physical handicap mirrors the emotional one of his sibling. Paul Stewart and Ruth Roman add to the films effect in memorable supporting roles. This film was nominated for an Academy Award for its beautiful deep and dark cinematography. And the score is one of Tiomkin's more subtle creations. Often ignored by film noir enthusiasts, "Champion" fine blending of intense drama, ensemble acting and virtuoso cinematography.