‘The Greatest’ Review: Amazon’s Handsome Muhammed Ali Biopic Connects in Spite of Itself

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In 1977, just a year after “Rocky” reinvigorated the sport of boxing from the big screen, Columbia Pictures released “The Greatest,” a biography of the man who reinvigorated the sport in real life: Muhammed Ali, then 35 years old and still fighting, played himself in the movie, alongside venerated actors like Ernest Borgnine (as his trainer Angelo Dundee), James Earl Jones (as Malcolm X), and Robert Duvall (as fight promoter Bill McDonald). Fortifying the footage from his actual fights, they helped recreate his life as a professional fighter, from winning the gold medal at the 1960 Olympics through reclaiming the title belt from George Foreman in 1974.

“You’ll see the life behind the legend — the man behind the myth,” the trailer states. “And you’ll understand why he’s called The Greatest.”

Now, nearly 50 years and roughly the same number of Ali-focused projects later, Amazon Prime Video is releasing another Ali-sanctioned biopic with the same title: “The Greatest” is a new drama series produced in collaboration with the Ali estate. Lonnie Ali, Muhammed’s wife at the time of his passing, is an executive producer, as are Hollywood heavy-hitters Michael B. Jordan and Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter.

Here, Ali is played by newcomer Jaalen Best, alongside notable names like Giovanni Ribisi (as Dundee), Dana Gourrier (as Ali’s mother Odessa), and Michael Ealy (as Malcolm X). The series starts in the same place as the film — the 1960 Olympics — and the first season wraps shortly after he claims the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston (Amin Joseph). Creator Ben Watkins said he has three seasons in mind, the last of which would take place in the mid-’70s, right around the time Ali took down Foreman.

This time the trailer states, “Discover the man who became a legend.”

Having not seen the film, I can’t say how the viewing experiences compare. (But Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Letterboxd patron saint of patrons Tracy Letts described the film as “a strange artifact. Part hagiography, part documentary, part dramatic reenactment…” — and I’m inclined to trust him.) Neither beats the charges of crafting a heroic, wholesome image of their financially involved subject, but the series, at least, still succeeds on its own terms by delivering what’s promised: revealing the man behind the legend — or, in an echo from five decades prior, a grounded understanding of why he’s called “The Greatest.” Paired with a convincing lead turn by Best, as well as moving work from Gourrier and especially Joseph, the earnest series overcomes its stock biopic structure to linger with viewers in a manner more pleasing than disbelieving.

Watkins’ exploration of Ali is rooted in his family, framing Muhammed’s astounding boxing abilities as inextricably linked to his upbringing: the confidence and passion of an older brother, the love and faith reflected from his mother, and the focus and vision of an artist, inherited from his father, Cassius Sr. (Omari Hardwick).

Hardwick’s initial spotlight is well-earned, as he shades a painter whose ambition was thwarted by circumstance with equal parts charm and acidity. “Cash” swings from unmistakable pride in his son’s accomplishments to despair over his own failings to achieve greatness, often at the drop of a hat (or the pour of a whiskey). He paints signs, not portraits or fine works of art, and he has a weakness for liquor, women, and violence.

After his father’s latest bender, a disgusted Cassius Jr. tells him they’re nothing alike. “I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t put my hands on women,” the professional fighter says. “Just give it time,” his father replies, with the conviction of a man speaking directly to his younger self. “The Greatest” never follows up on Cash’s assertion. If anything, it implies Cassius escapes these inherited demons by defending his mother, choosing the righteous path, and earning glory in the ring so he can exemplify it outside the ropes.

'The Greatest,' Amazon's Muhammed Ali series, stars Jaalen Best as Cassius Clay and Michael Ealy as Malcolm X

That works just fine for this season’s noble arc, but that same polish that’s arguably warranted now does little to suggest future seasons will be willing to wrestle with whatever truth may exist in Cash’s warning. Ali’s four marriages, paternity disputes, and alleged abuse suggest a more complicated comparison that’s yet to be seen — and, given the producers, may not be acknowledged any more than Hardwick’s sanitized invocation if “The Greatest” continues.

Compared to Cash (or anyone, really), Muhammed’s brother Rudy (Kai Parham) is more of a blank slate: a fellow boxer who’s wholly supportive of his brother’s rise to glory as well as his decision to join the Nation of Islam (which Rudy, later known as Rahaman, also adopts). But despite always being at Muhammed’s side, he feels half-realized. Sharing his brother’s spiritual journey — a challenging path not only because of the national resistance from white Americans, but also from their devout-Christian parents — provides some insight into Rudy, which is again glimpsed when he gives into the inevitable jealousy of seeing someone so close to him excel at the life he wanted.

But the follow-through leaves a strange gap. Rudy is like a walking, barely talking accessory; a piece of the Muhammed Ali legend that has to be acknowledged for his part in helping shape his brother’s identity, but whose development is so diminished it invites unintended questions. (Did a late-in-life fallout with Lonnie Ali influence his limited depiction here?)

It’s a shame because “The Greatest” is at its best when casting Muhammed against rich characters. He and Odessa build a deep relationship that illustrates each of their evolving constitutions. Muhammad’s friendship with Malcolm X is slow and steady, sparked by recognition in small moments and a thorough understanding of their larger-than-life experiences in the public eye. Best of all is his biggest adversary, Sonny Liston, whose luckless early years spoil a tender soul Joseph keenly brings to light. It’s easy to see why Ali, with the faith of his family and support from his community, triumphs in the ring over a man whipped by his father, abandoned by society, and turned into a villain by the media.

Ali and Liston’s juxtaposition is powerful, even if “The Greatest” maroons its chief antagonist too quickly after building him up so fully. There’s clearly more to his story than the show can make time for, an inevitability “The Greatest” struggles to settle with its main subject, as well. Best is commanding as Ali, growing into his camera-friendly showmanship but maintaining the inherent mettle needed to back it up. By the time his story comes full circle, from one daunting challenge (the Olympics) to the next (his first championship belt), Muhammed’s repressed fears don’t need the exposition lent via black-and-white, mid-fight hallucinations of his family and friends, urging him on to greatness.

The message is direct. The takeaway is simple. He was a man before he became a legend, and there’s much to admire about Ali’s inner spirit, his clarity of vision, and his staggering perseverance that “The Greatest” does a fine job unpacking.

In that way, it’s not far removed from the original “Rocky.” In other, less satisfying ways, it’s not far removed from “The Greatest.” Here’s hoping Season 2 is even better.