Wasted Potential

Rating: 4/10 (28 June 2014)

42 is the story of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in the MLB. 42 chronicles the intolerance exemplified towards African Americans in the nineteen forty's and the high level of resentment they faced by the National Baseball League.
Chadwick Boseman plays the lead role of Jackie Robinson and gives a worthy performance, although he does stubble in some of the more serious scenes. Harrison Ford also highlights this film as the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers at the time, Branch Rickey. He is by far the standout of the film and delivers on the usual Ford talent; if you are able to maneuver past his raspy voice.
42 is written by Brian Helgeland, who wrote the screenplay for L.A. Confidential, but his talent, however does not translate very well over to this film. To be frank, the screenplay is not good. It embodies the premise of mediocrity and exemplifies laziness and the inability to create serious dialogue. A few specs of light show through the seemingly unending cliché lines and useless and poorly written dialogue, but these few instance are not capable of saving the entire movie. Brian Helgeland also directed the film and provides a capable direction, although not memorable.
The biggest problem with 42 is that it is complete waste of its own potential. The film has actors who have proved their talent and a director/writer who has exemplified his own worth. The film ultimately fails because of its lazy and lackluster construction, which is a huge disappointment because it could have been so much more. 42 is not the great film that it should be and does not do justice to the American hero it tries to embody.