A noble, but safe biopic of a baseball legend

Rating: 6/10 (17 August 2013)

42 has a handful of memorable scenes, a credible period feel, and moments of compelling acting; but somehow, the picture as a whole falls a little short of a home run.
The word I would use to describe 42 is 'safe'. While I wasn't looking for an Oliver Stone, hit-me-over-the-head with brutal honesty kind of motion picture, I found the drama of 42 to be a little bit muted. This is a respectable and educational bio-pic for a mass audience; but strong film making, it is not.
There is another problem I had. Harrison Ford gives a hammy and unconvincing performance that borders on caricature. Everyone else in the cast performs very naturally, while Ford relies more on overly theatrical mannerisms than emotion to give us a character.
42 seems a little bit short in length for comfort. It is obvious that certain scenes were cut, scenes which I would have liked to see. For example the relationship between Robinson and his wife is virtually non existent. He proposes to her in the first act, and their chemistry pretty much ends there. The film chose a good place to end its story arc, (when taking real history into account) but the ending itself feels a little rushed.
42 is a noble film, and a mostly accurate one. It is a film that many people aught to see, but not all of them will like. I believe that the story of Jackie Robinson deserved a bit more dramatic momentum and a bit less sentimentality than Brian Helgelands bio pic provides. This is a medium good film, that should have been a great one.