Preachiness drains the spirit

Rating: 5/10 (21 February 2008)

Period courtroom drama Hollywoodizing the infamous slave ship rebellion and subsequent history-changing trial starts off promising enough but slowly erodes whatever truthful moments do occur. Spielberg is at his best when action is at the fore, but always frames his moralities around heavy-handed, condescending clichés which just continues to drain the soul out of this film, despite Hounsou's overbearing effort to achieve just the opposite.
Despite it's acceleration into mediocrity, Amistad is one of those movies that should be seen once, if for nothing then production alone. There are definitely a few strong points (the opening scene really set the bar too high, huh?) and the acting, when not charismatically lukewarm, holds a few high points (Hopkins, before he started to become the apathetic, approaching-senility oldie he so keenly plays here).