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Muhammad Ali: Through The Eyes of the Greatest
Universal // Unrated // January 29, 2002
List Price: $19.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
I wasn't born yet when Muhammad Ali was in the ring, but even watching clips of the champ's newsconfrences or other appearances is fascinating in a way that professional sports hasn't provided in years since. Even in the black and white clips that populate this BBC documentary about the fighter, there's something electrifying about Ali's presnece - sharp, almost brilliantly funny, he fought using both his wit and his physical ability.
This documentary is my favorite kind of documentary - one that doesn't consistently try and tell us what's going on and just lets the clips and participants speak for themselves. The documentary features thoughts from actors and other entertainment industry figures, family members, reporters, fighters and those who knew him when he was young. Billy Crystal, James Earl Jones, Ali's daughters and others are among those who share their stories about the champ.
"Through The Eyes Of The Greatest" opens with the early days of Ali (Cassius Clay)'s life, as he started fighting when he vowed to go after whoever stole his bike. The remainder of the documentary is a well-balanced mixture of several aspects of his life - clips from some of his most famous battles in the ring, his conversion to Islam, his denying enterance into the Vietnam War and other elements from across his life.
I really enjoyed this documentary quite a bit; while 104 minutes isn't enough time to really fully cover such a remarkable life, this documentary gets right to the points and provided a lot of interesting information and insight.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Through The Eyes Of The Greatest" is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The documentary is filmed in a way that is not particularly vibrant or vivid, but does a fine job capturing the interviews in a simple, straightforward fashion. Sharpness and detail are generally very good and the image remains crisp and clear.
The only problem that I noticed throughout the documentary is one that really can't be helped - there are a few instances where the archive black and white footage looks rather grainy or slightly worn. Considering its age though, this footage appears cleaner than I'd expected. No edge enhancement, pixelation or other problems appear.
Colors are generally natural, but somewhat subdued throughout the show. A Nice transfer, with no considerable problems. This is a very nice transfer; while there are some expected problems due to the age of some of the footage, no other flaws appeared.
SOUND: Universal presents the documentary in "Processed Dolby Digital 5.1" (that's how it is listed on the back cover). A documentary, in my opinion, really doesn't need to be presented beyond stereo, but the new 5.1 soundtrack is somewhat appreciated. The score is nicely presented by the front speakers, while the dialogue of the interviews and sounds from the clips remain clear.
MENUS:: The menus are very basic and non-animated, but easily navigated.
EXTRAS: Unseen/Deleted interviews (Billy Crystal, Rod Steiger, James Earl Jones, Hana Ali, Billy Connolly); stills gallery; music video; fight chronology; Ali center promo; Ali featurette; trailer for "Through The Eyes..." and interviews with people from around the world.
Final Thoughts: "Muhammad Ali: Through The Eyes Of The Greatest" is an interesting, professionally done and informative documentary about one of the biggest legends in professional sports history. Universal's DVD presents the documentary with fine audio/video quality and some good supplements. At $19.99 and less in most stores, this is recommended for fans of Ali or those wanting to learn more.
I wasn't born yet when Muhammad Ali was in the ring, but even watching clips of the champ's newsconfrences or other appearances is fascinating in a way that professional sports hasn't provided in years since. Even in the black and white clips that populate this BBC documentary about the fighter, there's something electrifying about Ali's presnece - sharp, almost brilliantly funny, he fought using both his wit and his physical ability.
This documentary is my favorite kind of documentary - one that doesn't consistently try and tell us what's going on and just lets the clips and participants speak for themselves. The documentary features thoughts from actors and other entertainment industry figures, family members, reporters, fighters and those who knew him when he was young. Billy Crystal, James Earl Jones, Ali's daughters and others are among those who share their stories about the champ.
"Through The Eyes Of The Greatest" opens with the early days of Ali (Cassius Clay)'s life, as he started fighting when he vowed to go after whoever stole his bike. The remainder of the documentary is a well-balanced mixture of several aspects of his life - clips from some of his most famous battles in the ring, his conversion to Islam, his denying enterance into the Vietnam War and other elements from across his life.
I really enjoyed this documentary quite a bit; while 104 minutes isn't enough time to really fully cover such a remarkable life, this documentary gets right to the points and provided a lot of interesting information and insight.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Through The Eyes Of The Greatest" is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The documentary is filmed in a way that is not particularly vibrant or vivid, but does a fine job capturing the interviews in a simple, straightforward fashion. Sharpness and detail are generally very good and the image remains crisp and clear.
The only problem that I noticed throughout the documentary is one that really can't be helped - there are a few instances where the archive black and white footage looks rather grainy or slightly worn. Considering its age though, this footage appears cleaner than I'd expected. No edge enhancement, pixelation or other problems appear.
Colors are generally natural, but somewhat subdued throughout the show. A Nice transfer, with no considerable problems. This is a very nice transfer; while there are some expected problems due to the age of some of the footage, no other flaws appeared.
SOUND: Universal presents the documentary in "Processed Dolby Digital 5.1" (that's how it is listed on the back cover). A documentary, in my opinion, really doesn't need to be presented beyond stereo, but the new 5.1 soundtrack is somewhat appreciated. The score is nicely presented by the front speakers, while the dialogue of the interviews and sounds from the clips remain clear.
MENUS:: The menus are very basic and non-animated, but easily navigated.
EXTRAS: Unseen/Deleted interviews (Billy Crystal, Rod Steiger, James Earl Jones, Hana Ali, Billy Connolly); stills gallery; music video; fight chronology; Ali center promo; Ali featurette; trailer for "Through The Eyes..." and interviews with people from around the world.
Final Thoughts: "Muhammad Ali: Through The Eyes Of The Greatest" is an interesting, professionally done and informative documentary about one of the biggest legends in professional sports history. Universal's DVD presents the documentary with fine audio/video quality and some good supplements. At $19.99 and less in most stores, this is recommended for fans of Ali or those wanting to learn more.
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