42      3.5***

 

            Everyone should remember the name Jackie Robinson. He became more than a baseball player, he became a legend, and a hero to the oppressed. Almost 70 years later his influence is still felt today. You ask anyone who truly follows baseball and they know the name, the number (42), and what it meant to the sport.

Luckily this film doesn't try to do too much by trying to tell the life story of Jackie Robinson. Iinstead it focuses on Robinson's days in the Negro League in 1945 thru his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Even with America coming off its victory against Fascism in World War II, racism was still prominent and it was especially true with the racist attitudes against African-Americans. At a time when  society in America was l segregated based on race, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American Major League Baseball player. He broke through the color barrier that had kept blacks out of the Major Leagues. Despite his amazing skills as a ballplayer, Robinson faced huge adversity dealing with the racist prejudice from the public, the fans, and fellow ballplayers. He wasn't just the first black major league baseball player, his greatness on the field also had  a huge impact on the game and America's attitude towards African-Americans. He became an icon in the civil rights movement in America, and ended racial segregation in America's greatest past time. This is why we remember his name, and his number.

 

Little-known actor Chadwick Boseman brings all the necessary elements to the role of Robinson. He looks like a ballplayer and is totally convincing in the baseball scenes. He  also effectively conveys the emotional turmoil inside a man forced to endure racially charged taunts and other various indignities due to the color of his skin. He shows the grace and class with which Robinson handled the onslaught. It took true courage to not fight back. It showed true character to turn the other cheek.

 

 Harrison Ford plays Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers' General Manager who made the bold decision to bring an African American into the Major Leagues in 1947. Ford is tremendous. It's a rare treat to watch one of Hollywood's most famous leading men disappear into a character. At first, it seems odd to see Ford playing an old curmudgeon. But then one comes to the astonishing realization that Ford (at age 70) is actually a few years older than Rickey was when he brought Robinson to Brooklyn. In the movie, Rickey professes that his motives are financial – the Dodgers have lots of African American fans that would pay to see Robinson play. He claims the only color he cares about is green. Ford's commanding and ultimately moving portrayal, however, hints at more decent and high-minded desires driving Rickey's decision. He would seem to be a sure bet for a  Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination..  

The baseball action has a more realistic look and feel than most baseball films. Computer graphics are also effectively used to recreate long-since-demolished ballparks like Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds in exact detail.

The filmmakers present a movie that most families will still find acceptable for young fans that don't know Robinson's story or his significance in American history. You hear lots of n-words, but  each character that uses them is sternly chastised on screen. (Aside from those scattered slurs, there isn't much that most parents would find objectionable.)

 

Clark

42 3.5***

Everyone should remember the name Jackie Robbecame more than a baseball player, he became a legend, and a hero to the oppressed. Almost 70 years later his influence is still felt today. You ask anyone who truly follows baseball and they know the name, the number (42), and what it meant to the sport.

Luckily this film doesn't try to do too much by trying to tell the life story of Jackie Robinson. Iinstead it focuses on Robinson's days in the Negro League in 1945 thru his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Even with America coming off its victory against Fascism in World War II, racism was still prominent and it was especially true with the racist attitudes against African-Americans. At a time when  society in America was l segregated based on race, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American Major League Baseball player. He broke through the color barrier that had kept blacks out of the Major Leagues. Despite his amazing skills as a ballplayer, Robinson faced huge adversity dealing with the racist prejudice from the public, the fans, and fellow ballplayers. He wasn't just the first black major league baseball player, his greatness on the field also had  a huge impact on the game and America's attitude towards African-Americans. He became an icon in the civil rights movement in America, and ended racial segregation in America's greatest past time. This is why we remember his name, and his number.

 

Little-known actor Chadwick Boseman brings all the necessary elements to the role of Robinson. He looks like a ballplayer and is totally convincing in the baseball scenes. He  also effectively conveys the emotional turmoil inside a man forced to endure racially charged taunts and other various indignities due to the color of his skin. He shows the grace and class with which Robinson handled the onslaught. It took true courage to not fight back. It showed true character to turn the other cheek.

 

 Harrison Ford plays Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers' General Manager who made the bold decision to bring an African American into the Major Leagues in 1947. Ford is tremendous. It's a rare treat to watch one of Hollywood's most famous leading men disappear into a character. At first, it seems odd to see Ford playing an old curmudgeon. But then one comes to the astonishing realization that Ford (at age 70) is actually a few years older than Rickey was when he brought Robinson to Brooklyn. In the movie, Rickey professes that his motives are financial – the Dodgers have lots of African American fans that would pay to see Robinson play. He claims the only color he cares about is green. Ford's commanding and ultimately moving portrayal, however, hints at more decent and high-minded desires driving Rickey's decision. He would seem to be a sure bet for a  Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination..  

The baseball action has a more realistic look and feel than most baseball films. Computer graphics are also effectively used to recreate long-since-demolished ballparks like Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds in exact detail.

The filmmakers present a movie that most families will still find acceptable for young fans that don't know Robinson's story or his significance in American history. You hear lots of n-words, but  each character that uses them is sternly chastised on screen. (Aside from those scattered slurs, there isn't much that most parents would find objectionable.)

 

Clark

 

 

 

 

42      3.5***

 

became             Everyone should remember the name Jackie Robinson. He became more than a baseball player, he became a legend, and a hero to the oppressed. Almost 70 years later his influence is still felt today. You ask anyone who truly follows baseball and they know the name, the number (42), and what it meant to the sport.

Luckily this film doesn't try to do too much by trying to tell the life story of Jackie Robinson. Iinstead it focuses on Robinson's days in the Negro League in 1945 thru his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Even with America coming off its victory against Fascism in World War II, racism was still prominent and it was especially true with the racist attitudes against African-Americans. At a time when  society in America was l segregated based on race, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American Major League Baseball player. He broke through the color barrier that had kept blacks out of the Major Leagues. Despite his amazing skills as a ballplayer, Robinson faced huge adversity dealing with the racist prejudice from the public, the fans, and fellow ballplayers. He wasn't just the first black major league baseball player, his greatness on the field also had  a huge impact on the game and America's attitude towards African-Americans. He became an icon in the civil rights movement in America, and ended racial segregation in America's greatest past time. This is why we remember his name, and his number.

 

Little-known actor Chadwick Boseman brings all the necessary elements to the role of Robinson. He looks like a ballplayer and is totally convincing in the baseball scenes. He  also effectively conveys the emotional turmoil inside a man forced to endure racially charged taunts and other various indignities due to the color of his skin. He shows the grace and class with which Robinson handled the onslaught. It took true courage to not fight back. It showed true character to turn the other cheek.

 

 Harrison Ford plays Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers' General Manager who made the bold decision to bring an African American into the Major Leagues in 1947. Ford is tremendous. It's a rare treat to watch one of Hollywood's most famous leading men disappear into a character. At first, it seems odd to see Ford playing an old curmudgeon. But then one comes to the astonishing realization that Ford (at age 70) is actually a few years older than Rickey was when he brought Robinson to Brooklyn. In the movie, Rickey professes that his motives are financial – the Dodgers have lots of African American fans that would pay to see Robinson play. He claims the only color he cares about is green. Ford's commanding and ultimately moving portrayal, however, hints at more decent and high-minded desires driving Rickey's decision. He would seem to be a sure bet for a  Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination..  

The baseball action has a more realistic look and feel than most baseball films. Computer graphics are also effectively used to recreate long-since-demolished ballparks like Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds in exact detail.

The filmmakers present a movie that most families will still find acceptable for young fans that don't know Robinson's story or his significance in American history. You hear lots of n-words, but  each character that uses them is sternly chastised on screen. (Aside from those scattered slurs, there isn't much that most parents would find objectionable.)

 

Clark

 

 

 

 

42      3.5***

 

            Everyone should remember the name Jackie Robinson. He became more than a baseball player, he became a legend, and a hero to the oppressed. Almost 70 years later his influence is still felt today. You ask anyone who truly follows baseball and they know the name, the number (42), and what it meant to the sport.

Luckily this film doesn't try to do too much by trying to tell the life story of Jackie Robinson. Iinstead it focuses on Robinson's days in the Negro League in 1945 thru his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Even with America coming off its victory against Fascism in World War II, racism was still prominent and it was especially true with the racist attitudes against African-Americans. At a time when  society in America was l segregated based on race, Jackie Robinson became the first African-American Major League Baseball player. He broke through the color barrier that had kept blacks out of the Major Leagues. Despite his amazing skills as a ballplayer, Robinson faced huge adversity dealing with the racist prejudice from the public, the fans, and fellow ballplayers. He wasn't just the first black major league baseball player, his greatness on the field also had  a huge impact on the game and America's attitude towards African-Americans. He became an icon in the civil rights movement in America, and ended racial segregation in America's greatest past time. This is why we remember his name, and his number.

 

Little-known actor Chadwick Boseman brings all the necessary elements to the role of Robinson. He looks like a ballplayer and is totally convincing in the baseball scenes. He  also effectively conveys the emotional turmoil inside a man forced to endure racially charged taunts and other various indignities due to the color of his skin. He shows the grace and class with which Robinson handled the onslaught. It took true courage to not fight back. It showed true character to turn the other cheek.

 

 Harrison Ford plays Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers' General Manager who made the bold decision to bring an African American into the Major Leagues in 1947. Ford is tremendous. It's a rare treat to watch one of Hollywood's most famous leading men disappear into a character. At first, it seems odd to see Ford playing an old curmudgeon. But then one comes to the astonishing realization that Ford (at age 70) is actually a few years older than Rickey was when he brought Robinson to Brooklyn. In the movie, Rickey professes that his motives are financial – the Dodgers have lots of African American fans that would pay to see Robinson play. He claims the only color he cares about is green. Ford's commanding and ultimately moving portrayal, however, hints at more decent and high-minded desires driving Rickey's decision. He would seem to be a sure bet for a  Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination..  

The baseball action has a more realistic look and feel than most baseball films. Computer graphics are also effectively used to recreate long-since-demolished ballparks like Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds in exact detail.

The filmmakers present a movie that most families will still find acceptable for young fans that don't know Robinson's story or his significance in American history. You hear lots of n-words, but  each character that uses them is sternly chastised on screen. (Aside from those scattered slurs, there isn't much that most parents would find objectionable.)

 

Clark

 

 

 

 

 

OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN    3.0***

Watching this film brought back many of the best of the Die Hard memories, and yes everyone is saying that this is pretty much a Die Hard in the White House.. This film is actually a hell of a lot better the most recent disaster Die Hard #15 or whatever. It's like Gerard Butler, the star of Olympus, has really gotten  in touch with the true soul of Die Hard’s John McClane .This film is a quite a good action flick, despite its cliché moments, plot holes, and over-the-top play on patriotism.

 

Gerad Butler plays Mike Banning, a former U.S. Army Ranger turned Secret Service agent, once in charge of the Presidential Detail. Banning was close to President Benjamin, the First Lady and their son Connor. After a tragic car accident that results in the death of the First Lady, Banning is basically demoted to a desk job at the Treasury Department near the White House. One day a group of terrorists launch a brilliant and believable coordinated attack on the White House( code name: “Olympus” ) and take it and the President hostage after a bloody battle including many civilian deaths.. During the attack Banning manages to shot his way into the White House. With the White House under terrorist control, the President hostage, and U.S. forces powerless, it’s up to Mike Banning to take down the Terrorists from the inside, before they succeed in their terrifying plot to destroy the United States… sounds like Die Hard just with a different and very special building.

 

The action is intense, bloody, and unrelenting. Gerard Butler has this commanding presence that you'd expect from an action star. He plays Mike Banning as a hard working professional rather than falling into the so often seen disgraced hero looking for redemption role. He kicks ass, he cracks clever one liners, he’s human & bleeds and hurts, and ends up coming across quite believably as a reluctant hero  . We get very good performances from a great supporting cast led by Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, and Melissa Leo.

 

It's fast, it's loud, it's preposterous, and yet my wife and I enjoyed every minute of it. The film is chock-full of sensational and well-shot action sequences and special effects, but its biggest strength is its cohesion. From start to finish the plot( as unbelievable as it is at times) moves smoothly, and you can easily tell who the good guys and the bad guys are, and can totally root for the good guys.  

 

3.0***