Movie Review - 42

42 (2013)

Starring Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, Ryan Merriman, Lucas Black, Andre Holland, Alan Tudyk, Hamish Linklater, T.R. Knight, and John C. McGinley

Directed by Brian Helgeland

There's a hammy heavy-handedness that accompanies 42, the story of how Jackie Robinson became the first African American major league baseball player.  It's not as if Robinson's story isn't worth telling, but there are moments when racial tension takes center stage that were more laughable than tense.  The film written and directed by Brian Helgeland is incredibly straightforward and by-the-book, containing nothing story-wise or shot-wise that anyone could call innovative.  The acting, while fine, is also quite bland with the exception of Harrison Ford as Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey who formulated the idea of integrating baseball in part due to the fact that his ballpark's attendance was sagging.  At first, I thought Ford was way over the top and out-of-place in the midst of everyone else's subdued portrayals, but his character eventually grew on me (or at least added a much needed spark of life into the proceedings).

It's not as if 42 is bad, but it doesn't do anything particularly well enough to recommend it.  I'm sure there are infinitely better documentaries or books on Robinson's integration into Major League Baseball and its subsequent impact on the sport (the latter of which is barely discussed at all).

The RyMickey Rating:  C