42 Noodles Review

Rating: 7/10 (19 December 2013)

42 is the biopic of Jackie Robinson, who we all know as the first African American to play Major League Baseball. The number 42 is the only jersey number retired by the entire league, so I guess you can tell he's a pretty big deal. There was a lot that Jackie Robinson had to fight through to get to where he was. Racial prejudice was just terrible and this movie chronicles it pretty well.
Jackie Robinson is played by Chadwick Boseman, who's relatively unknown (although he was in one episode of one of my favourite shows: Justified). Having to play the role of such an iconic person in the history of sports (and even civil rights) is a pretty big plate to step up to. Fortunately, he hits a home run with his performance because it was pretty good. You could tell when he was angry but had to hold it in or when there was hope in his eyes. I really liked that. But the show is stolen by Harrison Ford's character of Branch Rickey. Harrison Ford is one of my favourite actors (Indiana Jones, Blade Runner, Star Wars, The Fugitive, etc.) and he doesn't disappoint here. His character is very inspiring and is played amazingly. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Ford was nominated for an Oscar for this role. Additionally, there was Alan Tudyk (whom I've always loved in Firefly and, most recently, Wreck- It Ralph) as the racist a-hole, Ben Chapman. In this performance, he really puts the "dick" in Tudyk because he will make you absolutely hate the Philadelphia Phillies (the Pittsburgh Pirates aren't too likable either). And that's something that was done pretty well in this movie: the level of racism and prejudice. Of course, it's not as great as that of Django Unchained or Roots, but it's still quite believable and can make you wonder why people back then were so cruel. However, nobody really ever flipped out for real in this movie, which I would've wanted to see. Robinson gets mad at one point and breaks his bat and some people throw around names but it doesn't really capture what I'd imagine it should really be like. They keep that sort of PG in this movie; and while I understand why, I don't necessarily like.
The baseball scenes, however, were something I did like. They were dramatic and intense. I just wish there was more of it though. The movie is about 2 hours but I feel like there could've been about half hour more to the movie of baseball. Nonetheless, what baseball there was in the film was still cool even though you already knew what was going to happen. Touching on knowing on what would happen, the movie was very predictable. I found my friends and I calling every scene right before it would happen. And even with it being a true story, it can still be made to keep you on your toes, like Catch Me If You Can or The Fighter. This could probably have been due to the writing. Although the movie was written by the writer of L.A. Confidential and Mystic River (two great films that are mostly based on dialogue), its writing isn't as good as it could be. The script is pretty light at some parts and the dialogue gets a bit sappy sometimes. That's easy to get passed, though, if you're not looking for that; the directing style and level of drama is enough to keep it off your mind anyways.
It's a treat to see Jackie Robinson stealing bases on the field and it's interesting (and a little enraging) to see how he gets butchered by racial prejudice. 42 is quite a memorable baseball movie and could go up there with Field of Dreams and The Sandlot (not exactly on par with Pride of the Yankees though). The baseball scenes are fun, although I did want to see more. The acting is great, which is probably the gem of the film. The showcasing of real events was interesting. Though, it's sometimes unbelievable the way some characters speak or the way some events play out. But, 42 has style and is an enjoyable film with family and/or friends. While it's not an august pinnacle of film achievement, it's still an inspiring and enjoyable experience