My Grading System

A+ = Masterpiece (I hold back on this one.) / A = Great. / A- = Really Good. / B+ = Good. / B = Decent (Serviceable). / B- = Flawed but okay (For those times there's something redeeming about the work). / C+ = Not very good (Skip it). C = Bad. / C- = Awful. / F = Complete Disaster (I hold back on this one too).

Note on Spoilers: I will try to avoid ruining a story by going into too much detail. But if I wish to include some revealing points to my analysis I will try to remember to add a separate spoiler paragraph.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

42 (2013)

Jackie Robinson was an American legend.  He wasn’t just the first African-American baseball player to play for the Majors; he was one of the greatest sportsmen ever regardless of his skin color.  Such a fine human being deserves a fantastic bio-pic.  Brian Helgeland does a few things right in his production.  One he casts a talented actor in Chadwick Boseman to play Jackie.  He helps Harrison Ford turn in a fine performance as Branch Rickey.  He highlights many of Robinson’s famous moments.  That said it feels at times pretty generic.  It’s not to say I would suggest you avoid this film, because it’s good enough to watch and appreciate but it left me wanting more.  If not for Boseman and Ford’s on-screen chemistry this would be a big below average film.  I’m kind of hoping in ten years someone tackles this story again, and is able to craft a film that feels less like a made-for-TV movie and more like a true cinematic event.  Grade: B
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