42 (2013)

I'm a big baseball fan, so I was excited to see this movie as soon as I heard about it. The release date of April 12th coinciding with the start of the baseball season, as well as Jackie Robinson Day on April 15th (when every MLB player sports #42 in his honor), felt appropriate and was clever marketing.

In case you live under a rock and/or you happened to go to one of the few elementary schools that didn't require its students to write a report on a famous black person for Black History Month, Jackie Robinson was the first African American Major League Baseball player, who played first and second base with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947 through 1956. After doing a little research about Robinson, I discovered that one detail that was left out in those grade school reports was that he wasn't really the first black player in the majors, only of the of the modern era. What I mean by "the modern era" is after the Negro Leagues, which existed for about 60 years, starting in the 1880s. There were actually some black players in the major leagues before the Negro League started. However, this does not make Robinson's accomplishments any less impressive.

I have a whole new respect for Jackie Robinson after actually seeing and hearing the racism that he had to endure. In one scene, a Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher even hits him in the head. (Speaking of which, it made me wonder what the hell took so long for helmets to be made mandatory.) Some of the behavior and racial slurs coming from the crowd, coaches from other teams, and umpires was truly disgusting to watch for someone who was brought up in a generation where it's no longer socially acceptable to be blatantly racist. Sure, racism is unfortunately still alive and well in America, but it exists on a more underground level, compared to 60 years ago when it was considered the norm.

Newcomer Chadwick Boseman did a fantastic job. I'm glad the producers cast an unknown because it made it easier to believe that he really was Jackie Robinson. It would be cool to see him be recognized with an Oscar nomination, but even more importantly, I hope this will be the start of a long career. The supporting actors were great as well, particularly Lucas Black as Pee Wee Reese, the Dodgers shortstop who supported and stood up for Robinson the most during his rough first years on the team, and Alan Tudyk as Ben Chapman, the unapologetically racist Phillies manager who was one of Robinson's worst tormentors. Tudyk was so convincing in the role, it was hard not to hate him. Then of course, there's the legendary Harrison Ford as Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey, the man who helped break the color barrier by deciding to sign Robinson. I didn't realize just how old Harrison Ford is until I saw him in this. He was almost unrecognizable, and really disappeared in his role. At 71 years old, he still looks good for his age though.

It was great to see how his teammates went from signing a petition against him playing with them to gradually accepting and respecting him. The only problem I had with the film was that it ended very abruptly. I was shocked when the concluding notes of what happened to all the characters started rolling, as they typically do in films based on true stories. I felt like they stopped telling his story too early. Aside from that, I was very impressed with the film's authenticity and honest portrayal of the characters and time period.

"42" has already proved to be a hit. It opened at number

Fmovies: "42" tells the story of the American legend Jackie Robinson, the first African-American major league baseball player. This film takes place in the 1940s when racism and segregation were very prominent, so Jackie has to overcome many challenges and deal with the doubt and judgment people have towards him. With the support of journalist Wendell Smith (Andre Holland), Rachel Robinson (Nicole Beharie) and Dodger's owner Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), Jackie proves he has what it takes to make it.

I really love this film. Not only is "42" educational, but it also has a sense of humor, wit and a whole lot of inspiration. This film captures the hardships that not only Jackie and his family dealt with, but also the hatred that was shown towards the people that supported him. I really like the cinematography and the way the camera angles are able to capture the movement of the players and the unspoken communication between the team members. The costume and set design is also very well done and accurate for that time period.

My favorite character is Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) because he really shows emotion in a realistic way. Jackie is faced with challenge after challenge, but always overcomes, and Chadwick did a phenomenal job of displaying all that was going through his characters mind with nothing but a simple expression. Chadwick also captured Jackie's spunk and defiance towards the norms. Jackie Robinson is such an inspirational person and character. At any given moment he could have given up, let down the people that looked up to him, believe all the hate that was thrown at him, but he didn't, and that's what makes him a hero. I believe Jackie is a character that every man, woman and child can look up to and find inspiration in.

My favorite scene is when Jackie plays one of his first games as a Dodger. The manager of the opposing team is very slanderous and vile towards Jackie. He calls out awful racial slurs while Jackie is out on the field, but Jackie knows if he did anything about it he would be the one who gets punished. Finally after the other Dodgers had enough, Eddie Stanky marched over to the opposing team and told the manager to sit down. He knows he is breaking the rules, but when he sees a team member of his being harped on he takes a chance and stands up of for him. This scene shows that the color of one's skin doesn't matter and that Eddie would have done that for any one of his teammates. It's a wonderful example of equity and sportsmanship and it is very moving.

I give "42" 5 out of 5 stars because it is touching, funny, educational and inspirational. It's rated PG-13 which I agree with because it does run a bit long and younger children may find it hard to sit through, but it also contains a lot of racial slurs and slanderous language that may be hard for children to understand.

Reviewed by KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Raven Devanney, age 15. For video review, go to kidsfirst dot org.

A few years ago during Black History Month, I reviewed The Jackie Robinson Story which starred Robinson. I mentioned he wasn't much of an actor but his skill in baseball was the reason he was used, anyway, so that made it worth seeing. So now we have another depiction of his major league career as portrayed by Chadwick Boseman and, man, he gets to portray his anger after getting some really appalling comments from a manager of the Pirates team (Alan Tudyk, in a really brave performance). But we also see Robinson get some support from his wife, Rachel (Nicole Beharie), a fellow African-American reporting on him named Wendell Smith (Andre Holland), and especially, Brooklyn Dodgers head Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford). In fact, the most touching part was when Rickey mentions something in his past that made him pick someone like Jackie for his team. So for every awful depiction of racism, there's a just as inspirational depiction of strength among his team of overcoming those odds. So on that note, I highly recommend 42.

42 fmovies. 42, a biopic that unsurprisingly stuns the audience with it's non-cliché drama, amazing acting from every word delivered to every facial expression, and Boseman's athletic and acting abilities. People who have been worried about the SPECIFIC details of Jackie's life will be delighted to see an amazing copy of his life, with Robinson's stint in the Negro,Minor, and Major Leagues. Chadwick's athletic ability has been tested and he has passed, he showed a spot on portrayal of Jackie's movements/style. The cinematography was actually a sight to see, I'd have to say that during the baseball playing scenes, I would of probably been turned off if it specifically wasn't for this look, it captures the scene back then, while still keep in touch with today's audience. The supporting roles were just tremendous, I don't know if I'd say award winning but Harrison Ford will get notice for this role as Branch Rickey, he captures the charisma yet tough heartiness of Branch. Comedically, the jokes aren't cliché, they're not cheap and Boseman shows his range comedically and dramatically. In conclusion, 42 is an amazing looking film and even though it is rated PG-13, the racial topic isn't too weak or strong and at times they may actually overuse, the "n" word, this film is still one of my favorite bio pics that I've seen in a long time and I hope you"ll enjoy it too, I know the audience did because this was one of the few films where an applause occurred at the end of it and I'm not scared to say that I was a part of it.

Everyone will remember the name Jackie Robinson. He became more then a baseball player, he became a legend, and a hero. Almost 70 years later his influence is still felt today. You ask anyone who follows baseball they know the name, the number, what it meant to the sport, and this country.

Luckily the film doesn't try to do too much by telling the life story of Jackie Robinson, instead it focuses on Robinson's days in the Negro League in 1945 to 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. This was especially true with the racist attitudes against African-Americans. At a time when the society in America was still 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 League. Despite his amazing skills as a ballplayer, Robinson faces huge adversity dealing with the racist prejudice from the public, the fans, and fellow ballplayers. His greatness on the field had such a huge impact on the game and America's attitude towards African-Americans. Of course talent can only take a player so far, it was Robinson's character & pride that really made him standout. 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.

Chadwick Boseman has such an uncanny resemblance to Jackie Robinson. He played Robinson beautifully as a man of great talent and character. You can see him boiling inside at moments dealing with the stress and anger Robinson must have felt with the world coming down on him. I love that this film isn't just about Robinson's courage, but that of those who supported him. Jackie's wife Rachel is played wonderfully by Nicole Beharie. She is beautiful, strong, and good natured. She had to be as strong as Jackie was to endure the rough journey ahead. While most love stories come across as corny especially in a sports movie, this works thanks to the chemistry and wonderful acting of Boseman and Beharie. Harrison Ford is unforgettable in his supporting role as Branch Rickey, the legendary General Manger who took great risks in signing Jackie Robinson. This was one of Ford's best performances, bringing charisma, charm, and heart to his role. Branch Rickey was a gutsy and innovative figure in baseball, and Ford did him justice. The acting overall is wonderful, and I give credit to a great supporting cast.

The film is a true inspirational story of how a baseball player helped change a sport, and how sport can change a country. Despite it's cliché moments, this film has a charm to it that makes it so beloved. Its my hope that 42 film will educate and inspire this generation and the next and that 42 won't become lost amongst the Sports film or bio-pic movie genre. Does 42 adequately match the legacy of the man tries it depicts? Is Jackie Robinson's life simply too great for a two hour motion picture? whatever legacy it will create, 42 is still a proud tribute to one of baseballs greatest figures.

You probably think this film is completely focused on the story of Jackie Robinson. That is definitely not the case, as this film finds balance between the story of Robinson, baseball, and segregation. And this film succeeds in depicting all three aspects to bring a powerful, heartwarming, humorous film. The casting is great. Every actor fits his or her character perfectly. Harrison Ford does an amazing job portraying his character with his no- nonsense humorous attitude. He has a good chance of grabbing an academy award nomination for this roll. This is one of those movies that takes you for an emotional thrill ride. You feel for the Robinson. You want him to win. And you rejoice when he does. So sit back and let the film drag you in; it's worth your time.