Delivers nothing new, but still quite enjoyable.

Rating: 7/10 (10 December 2015)

This movie is told in a linear and safe way, without showing anything new. There has already been made several documentaries about Fischer and the game on Iceland in 1972, and this movie pretty much delivers the exact same story, just in different wrapping.
But it is exiting to watch, and both Schreiber and Maguire delivers good performances. But a big screen film about the two best chess players in the world at the time, playing some of the most famous chess matches of all time, and being told this linear and "typical" is a bit disappointing. Also the movie does not explain all that well why certain moves are good or bad, but makes up for it by just focusing on the facial expressions of the actors. As an easy way out, sort of.
I can understand the movie didn't have time to teach everyone how to play chess, but i think they went to easy on this to be honest. A movie called pawn sacrifice, not showing more of how the game itself is played, is a downer. You'd expect the film to be a bit more "nerdy", and would capture more of the battle on the board, not just another communist vs USA movie. But of course it was all about that as well. Especially in the media and in many peoples minds.
I just felt the movie was taking some easy shortcuts, but it is told in a safe and ordinary fashion, and never really gets boring, it is very exiting at times, and i enjoyed parts of it quite much.
And for those who don't know much about Bobby Fischer and the dramatic finale on Iceland in 1972, this movie is a good way to learn more about it. And if it sparks some interests in chess, you can go online and watch the games and how they were played later.
7/10 - Quite Good