'Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist' review: Kevin Hart shows off his dramatic chops in 1970s caper series

WHAT IT'S ABOUT The limited series "Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist" tells the story of a strange and poorly conceived robbery: A team targets a big score at a casino party in Atlanta, on Oct. 26, 1970, that happens to be attended by a who's who of organized crime figures.

They're in town because it's the night of Muhammad Ali's return to boxing, a famous bout against Jerry Quarry after the champ's years of being banned from licensed fights following his refusal to be drafted during the Vietnam War.

The basic outline of this story really happened, providing the fodder for a 2020 podcast and now eight episodes on Peacock from creator Shaye Ogbonna, starring Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle, Terrence Howard and other top-of-the-line actors.

Hart plays Gordon Williams, nicknamed the Chicken Man, an enterprising hustler and  organizer of the party along with his girlfriend Vivian Thomas (Henson). It's geared toward getting him an in with Frank Moten (Jackson), the New York "Black Godfather," who arrives at the shindig with his New Jersey counterpart Cadillac Richie (Howard).

Cheadle plays JD Hudson, the detective charged with protecting Ali in Atlanta and, eventually, with investigating the fallout from the heist. Dexter Darden ("Joyful Noise") doesn't look much like Ali but he certainly gets the voice and mannerisms right.

MY SAY "Fight Night" has been made in the right spirit for the material, with a funky score, liberal use of split screens and abundant early '70s style. It looks and feels like a product from a specific artistic era. A viewing of the first three episodes reveals an abiding interest in the atmosphere and overarching aesthetic, while the plot develops at its own unhurried pace.

That allows for some great character moments, as Ogbonna and his directors recognize the gift of having all these actors in one place.

Hart in particular gets a welcome chance to showcase his dramatic chops as the striving, scrambling Williams. Cheadle captures the complicated experience of being devoted to his job while also being forever aware of the challenges that come with being one of the few Black leaders in the police department.

Jackson is funny and scary, in his particularly unique way. Henson has a scene best left unrevealed here in which she expertly takes the audience on an entire journey, revealing everything there is to know about her character with hardly a line of dialogue, in just a few minutes.

The cast is the reason to make the investment in "Fight Night." It's a slow burn that can be patience-trying at times, and it's fair to wonder whether there's really enough here to support eight episodes instead of, say, a single movie.

But there's confidence to spare and a real sense that the show knows exactly what it intends to be, without compromise. And whenever the pace slows to a crawl, the actors are there to keep you engaged.

BOTTOM LINE The stars and the style more than compensate for any complaints.