Good intentions, great true story, bland and glossy to the point of insulting

Rating: 6/10 (11 March 2014)

42 (2013)
This is a ten star, top notch dramatic story and a four star, disappointing delivery. No, the acting isn't terrible, and in fact the filming and editing are up to normal professional levels.
But that's not what makes a good movie—not alone. This is more like Disney does the Jackie Robinson Story. Oh—does that sound familiar? Yes, there is a movie called "The Jackie Robinson Story" and it stars, believe it or not, Jackie Robinson, who was not an actor and in fact couldn't hold up his end of his own story. That movie, too, falls under the bus of righteous storytelling.
But of course the story IS fantastic. And important and dramatic. It needs a less fearful approach than "42" for sure. The attempts at showing his relationship with his wife are too long and generic, there is no showing of his amazing rise through the Negro leagues, there is nothing about his psychology, even—not beyond the anger and torment that are obvious. And you know full well there are good, respectable depths available (and written about) that need to see the light of day.
Most of all there is only the expected here. There is blatant racism (some of it really terrible) and there is hero worship. And all of this is told in a glossy, bland way. There's even the required slow motion as Robinson rounds the bases after a key home run. Bravo, movie makers. Nice thinking!
Ugh. It figures the director AND writer is someone like Brian Helgeland, with little feature directing experience (just "Payback," which is however quite good). Bravo for Harrison Ford for taking on a good role and anchoring the whole thing a little.
Okay, so maybe you like feel good movies. Why not? See it. I have to admit I liked the story enough I stuck it out. I wanted to experience the events through the movie. And you can do that here. Maybe that's enough. For me it was not, and for me even further it's a shame. It doesn't put racism under the thumb enough, it doesn't make Robinson's heroic actions clear enough, it doesn't show the trap of money and necessity enough, and it doesn't even make the game of baseball as interesting as it really is. Enough.