Too academic and lacking emotion

Rating: 6/10 (25 July 2013)

This biopic (again...) revolves around this historical moment of Jackie Robinson's arrival in the MLB, who put an end to a 60 year segregation in the elite.
The story is therefore interesting and shows well what Robinson had to endure during this dark period of the US history, but the script lacks ambition and is too predictable to completely win the viewer's support. You end up with a succession — a bit jerky — of interesting scenes but that don't form an enough convincing ensemble, which is very prejudicial considering the potential and power of the facts. The very academic direction doesn't help either the telegraphed scenario.
Special mention however to Harrison Ford, very interesting among a good cast but unfortunately also under exploited.
All in all, 42 is a good movie but far, in terms of intensity, from a movie like the gut-wrenching Moneyball.