Will Smith transforms physically and vocally into Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali for Michael Mann's sprawling biopic, tracing the boxer's rise from Olympic gold medalist to defiant conscientious objector who refused induction into the Vietnam War draft. The film covers roughly a decade of Ali's most turbulent years, from his conversion to Islam and friendship with Malcolm X to his exile from boxing and eventual return for the 'Rumble in the Jungle'. Smith earned an Oscar nomination for capturing both the showman's bravado and the private man's convictions, anchoring a film more interested in Ali's political courage than in ring choreography.