‘The Greatest’ Review: Prime Video’s Muhammad Ali Series Is One Of the Year’s Best TV Dramas

There was never just one Muhammad Ali.On one hand, a humble and soft-spoken son of the South. On the other, a fleet-footed, jackhammer-fisted fighter who dispensed poetry with proficiency while loudly proclaiming himself the “greatest of all time.” Ten years after his death, Ali’s larger-than-life legacy risks overshadowing the fascinating complexity of the man, a paradox at the forefront of Prime Video’s rousing, exceptional series “The Greatest.” Created by Ben Watkins (“Cross”) and executive produced by Michael B. Jordan and Ali’s widow Lonnie, the eight-episode drama (streaming in its entirety beginning Nov. 4) takes a different approach to a life already exhaustively documented, dissected and dramatized. Kai Parham and Jaalen Best in “The Greatest.” (Prime Video) Instead of encompassing Ali’s incredible journey in its entirety, the series drills down on the defining years between his gold-medal victory at the 1960 Rome Olympics and his stunning defeat of heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in 1964. Granted, that’s a relatively narrow window in the life of someone whose achievements and influence would extend across decades, but it’s also one of immense personal and professional transformation. For someone whose confidence bordered on the supernatural, discovering that being the best wasn’t necessarily enough to be treated as an equal was a revelation. Some of the most compelling material unfolds far removed from the boxing ring, within the walls of the Clay family home. It’s here the foundations are laid for his eventual embrace of Islam and rejection of the name Cassius Clay, expressions of his determination to define himself rather than accept limitations imposed by others. In the supporting cast, Dana Gourrier plays Clay’s mother Odessa, while Omari Hardwick portrays his father, Cassius Clay Sr. Smartly avoiding a broad caricature in the vein of Colman Domingo’s Joe Jackson in “Michael” earlier this year, Hardwick finds the complexity in a father whose pride in his son’s achievements exists alongside his own shortcomings and frustrations. Dana Gourrier, Jaalen Best, Kai Parham and Omari Hardwick in “The Greatest.” (Prime Video) Rather than presenting the Clays (including Kai Parham as devoted younger brother Rudy) as a collection of reassuring influences orbiting an inevitable superstar, the family nurturing his ambitions is just as much a source of tension, allowing for powerful scenes between father and son by the time the season wraps. At the center of it all is star Jaalen Best (“All-American: Homecoming”). Portraying one of the most recognizable personalities of the 20th century (Will Smith earned an Oscar nomination for 2001’s “Ali”), Best effortlessly evokes the physical prowess, verbal flourishes and almost preposterous self-assurance of the man who famously floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee. Balancing the brash fighter demanding the spotlight with the introspective individual left behind when the crowds depart, he makes his portrayal more than a collection of quirks pulled from an impersonation kit, emerging as a true talent to watch. Meanwhile, the series explores Clay’s growing connection to the Nation of Islam (which he initially joined in secret alongside his brother Rudy) and his friendship with Malcolm X, one of the most important relationships in his life. Michael Ealy’s portrayal of the slain civil rights icon stands comfortably alongside Denzel Washington’s in Spike Lee’s 1992 film. Michael Ealy and Jaalen Best in “The Greatest.” (Prime Video) Clay’s growing awareness of the contradictions between American ideals and American realities — seen in a flashback when he and his brother learn of Emmett Till’s brutal murder, and later when he’s refused service at a lunch counter despite ordering a hamburger named in his honor — is inseparable from his determination to assert control over his identity. For all its attention to the political and social forces forging its protagonist, however, “The Greatest” never loses sight of the sheer thrill of watching a singular athletic talent discover what he can do. Appropriately enough given “Creed” star Jordan’s presence as an executive producer, the boxing sequences are a dazzling and essential component of the production. Clay’s fighting style was as much an expression of personality as his verbal theatrics, and Best, who reportedly spent months studying Ali’s movements, masterfully emulates the eventual champion’s unconventional technique. Giovanni Ribisi (now fully in his quirky character actor phase) also appears as Ali’s loyal trainer Angelo Dundee. Elsewhere, Amin Joseph brings a quiet intensity and surprising vulnerability to Sonny Liston, the fearsome heavyweight whose parallel storyline allows him to emerge as more than a menacing presence on the periphery. There’s also an interesting tension inherent in the production’s status as the first authorized scripted series about Ali, made with the cooperation of his estate. Such involvement offers opportunities for a more intimate understanding of its subject, but raises the question of whether an officially sanctioned biography can fully confront the less flattering dimensions of a beloved figure. To its credit, “The Greatest” doesn’t shy away from its central character’s imperfections, avoiding the kind of reverential hagiography that inadvertently diminishes its subject by sanding away any rough edges. While his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War, the loss of his boxing license, and eventual return to the ring fall beyond the scope of this season, their absence doesn’t make the story feel any less complete. Instead, the leadup to the Liston fight is a dramatically satisfying throughline, culminating in the moment when a brash contender became heavyweight champion of the world. Still, there’s plenty more tale of the tape to tell should Prime Video ring the bell for another round. One of the year’s best new shows, “The Greatest” focuses on a young man from Louisville with extraordinary gifts, enormous ambitions and no way of knowing how profoundly his world would change — or how profoundly he’d change the world. Ali may have spent much of his life telling us he was the greatest, but what makes this series special is that it allows us to see the man who was still learning what that meant. “The Greatest” premieres Nov. 4 on Prime Video.