42

The highly anticipated Jackie Robinson biopic is finally out. Does it live up to the high expectations? No. Is it a decent, entertaining sports film that families will enjoy? Sure. It is very well written, with some lines that I'm sure I'll hear people quoting soon enough. The acting is also pretty good, with what is probably the best performance of Harrison Ford's career. Definitely not his most memorable, but most likely his most convincing. Chadwick Boseman also does well as number 42 himself. However, where this movie suffers is the plot. Throughout the film, no real major conflict is introduced. Yes, Jackie has to combat racism and racial prejudices, but to me that part of the film seemed rather weak. Also, it did not seem like the major conflict. The plot is basically this; Robinson joins the MLB, people are racist towards him, he tries not to get mad, then wins the World Series. There is no resolution at the end, because there was nothing to resolve. Apart from the plot, the musical score was painful to listen to. It was incredibly cliched and sounded like it was written by a John Williams wannabe. Thank God it's use in the film was limited. That part of the movie was pathetically executed. However, the cinematography was nice, and it was overall a a very pleasant experience. If you're a fan of baseball movies, then you definitely will enjoy this.

6.5/10