Ali…The second big biopic of the year (A Beautiful Mind being the first), stars Will Smith as boxer, draft resistor, minor poet and Nation Of Islam follower Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) in a performance that cries out for an Oscar nomination. Director Michael Mann reaches out to a wide audience by dealing with sports (there are plenty of boxing scenes), politics (from Ali’s changing of his name to his refusal to enter the Vietnam war as a soldier), and religion (his controversial relationship with Malcolm X), among other things. Smith proves himself as a serious actor, but still occasionally gets in the way of the legend he is attempting to portray. The supporting cast (including Jon Voight as Howard Cosell, with whom Ali had a nurturing and vital relationship), does give Smith room to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, when he needs to. On a scale of 1 to 10: 6.5
Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney)…If you’ve already taken the kids or grandkids or nieces and nephews to see Monsters, Inc. or you’ve already rented (or bought) Shrek, the special edition IMAX release of Beauty and the Beast is the one to see. Animation has come a long way in the 10 years since the initial release of this Oscar-nominated animated Disney feature, something that becomes apparent, especially in the larger scale version of this cartoon classic. Still, the songs sound great in the IMAX setting. The production numbers, “Be Our Guest,” and the newly added “Human Again,” sung by the anthropomorphized characters in the enchanted castle, are a joy. If you’ve ever questioned the transformative power of love, all you have to do is watch the famous scene with Belle (voice by Paige Hearn) and the Beast (voice by Robby Benson) waltzing in the ballroom, and you will have your answer. (@ Navy Pier IMAX). On a scale of 1 to 10: 7