By Ashley Hillard

Director Pete McCormack takes a different approach to this documentary about boxing champ Muhammad Ali. Instead of directly interviewing Ali, his family and friends it is his rivals that take center stage. The legend is discussed by way of his most famous opponents, including George Foreman and Joe Frazier.

The documentary covers the fights and the changes, both personally and professionally, that Ali went through over the years. Many moments in the film are humorous as the men recall Ali's shit-talking to get them riled up before their respective fights. Ali's degenerating health is also discussed, with most of the men openly saddened by his weakened condition due to Parkinson's. Time has healed their mental and physical wounds from fighting Ali and they are left with the golden memories of fighting a world champion and hero.

Facing Ali also goes in depth covering the effect boxing has had on Ali's opponents. Their stories range from financial ruin until the day they stepped into the ring with Ali to the sad story of George Chuvalo whose family was ripped apart and devastated in the wake of his boxing career. These stories add depth to the overall documentary, but the shift in focus back and forth between his opponents' lives, his life and archival footage leaves the whole project a bit out of focus and all over the place, making it difficult to follow the stories of the fights, the men and Ali.

This is a great DVD to add to the collection of any Ali fan but it doesn't give enough insight into the man, his fighting style or his technique, which are discussed, but not in depth. This is an ambitious doc that covers a lot of ground without focusing on one particular aspect, making it difficult to figure out what to make of it or take away from it.

Extras

DVD extras include animated trivia cards, a look into how the fights were brought to life, an interview with producer Derik Murray and how he brought the book that inspired him to life in his doc and a segment that gives insight into the interviews with the individual boxers.