Hidden Figures Film Review

Rating: 8/10 (24 February 2017)

The new drama film Hidden Figures based on a true story about NASA and black women who revolutionised things for space astronauts starring Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Taraji P. Henson. In Hidden Figures an uplifting true-life drama about the African-American women who played a key role in US space missions. It's 1962 and the space race is on. NASA (The National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is determined to beat the Russians in putting a man into orbit around the Earth. But behind the scenes, a trio of pioneering African-American women are responsible for the calculations that will launch John Glenn (American actor Glen Powell - The Expendables 3, Ride Along 2) into space. These "human computers" have to battle against deeply engrained racism and sexism to secure their place in history. Katherine G. Johnson (American actress Taraji P. Henson - The Karate Kid 2010, Date Night) is a brilliant maths prodigy. Team supervisor Dorothy Vaughn (American actress Octavia Spencer - Get On Up: The James Brown Story, Divergent films) is kept in her place by a condescending boss Mrs Vivian Mitchell (American actress Kirsten Dunst - Spider-Man films, Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles). And Mary Jackson (American actress Janelle Monáe - Moonlight) endures an uphill struggle to train as NASA's first black female engineer. From the director of 'St. Vincent', this is an inspirational, feelgood true story of unsung heroes who dared to dream big and refused to be intimidated by the obstacles placed in their way. Amongst the other actors / actresses in Hidden Figures include American actor Kevin Costner (Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, The Untouchables) as Al Harrison who works at NASA, American actor Jim Parsons (US TV Series The Big Bang Theory, Garden State) as Paul Stafford who works at NASA, American actor Mahershala Ali (The Place Beyond The Pines, The Hunger Games films) as Colonel Jim Johnson, American actor Aldis Hodge (Die Hard films, Straight Outta Compton) as Levi Jackson, Kimberly Quinn (St. Vincent, A Little Game and who is married to the director of Hidden Figures Theodore Melfi in real life) as Ruth Al's PA at NASA, Polish actor Olek Krupa (Thirteen Days, Eraser) as Karl Zielinski, American actor Kurt Krause (Devil's Due, The Last Of Robin Hood) as Sam Turner who works as NASA, Ken Strunk (Take Shelter, Promised Land) as Jim Webb, Lidya Jewett as Young Katherine Coleman, American actress Donna Biscoe (Red All Over, The Sacrament) as Mrs. Joylette Coleman, Ariana Neal (Get Hard, Fruitvale Station) as Joylette Johnson, Saniyya Sidney (Fences) as Constance Johnson, Zani Jones Mbayise (How To Be Single) as Kathy Johnson, American actor Tre Stokes as Levi Jr., Selah Kimbro Jones as Carolyn Marie Jackson, Corey Mendell Parker (Dead Still, Forbidden Attraction) as Howard Vaughan, Ashton Tyler as Leonard Vaughan, American actor Alkoya Brunson (The Birth Of A Nation, Vacation) as Kenneth Vaughan, Karan Kendrick (The Hunger Games, Parental Guidance) as Younger Joylette Coleman, Jaiden Kaine (US TV Series Luke Cage, Mr. Right) as Joshua Coleman, American actor Gregory Alan Williams (Terminator Genisys, In The Line Of Fire) as Marion Smithson, Maria Howell (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Mississippi Damned) as Ms. Sumner, Arnell Powell (Hindsight, The Honeymooners) as Professor Graves, American actress Crystal Lee Brown as Bernie, German actor Tequilla Whitfield as Eleanor, American actor Dane Davenport (The Birth Of A Nation, Flight) as Alan Shepard, Evan Holtzman (Dominion) as Deke Slayton, Travis Smith (The Good Lie, Shotgun Stories) as Scott Carpenter, American actor Scott Michael Morgan (The Descendants, Lovesick) as Bill Calhoun, Robert McKay (Brilliant Mistakes, Three Long Years) as Pastor Ayres, American actor Wilbur Fitzgerald (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Founder) as Senator Patrick and Joe Hardy Jr. (Mystic Rising, Zombie Tag) as Gordon Cooper. Filming locations in Hidden Figures include US States like West Virginia and Virginia but according to the IMDb website Hidden Figures was filmed in the US State of Georgia. Overall Hidden Figures is a good drama film filled with drama, science, space, astranauts, NASA employees, space shuttles, white and black people working at NASA, discrimination and racism in the work place, team work, togetherness, loyalty, a good insight in to the good work that the three African-American women mathematicians did good work at NASA back in the 1960's, breaking down barriers, old footage of the things that happened, maths sums, formulas, graphs, diagrams, family, genius people, outstanding performances from all the main actors / actresses and many other things throughout the film. So I will give Hidden Figures an overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars and I will say Hidden Figures is worth seeing if you like drama films based on true stories or about NASA like Apollo 13, The Martian, Space Cowboys amongst others. So if you get the chance to see Hidden Figures in the cinema then you should go and see it sooner than later.