Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

GazerRise Fantastic!

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

zkonedog Though perhaps seeming preposterous to baseball fans, sports fans, or just cultural historians in general, there are many younger people alive today who do not know the incredible story of Jackie Robinson. Despite the fact that such an inspirational tale SHOULD be known and loved by all, part of the reason for the disparity is because the last mainstream-media version of the story was produced in 1950...just three years after Jackie broke the color barrier and starring Mr. Robinson as himself! Though a nice film in its own right, "42" truly captures the poignancy of the story using Hollywood drama.For a basic plot summary, "42" recounts how Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), with the help of Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Along the way viewers are introduced to other key players in the Robinson saga including wife Rachel (Nicole Beharie), manager Leo Durocher (Christopher Meloni), and fellow teammates like Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black) and Dixie Walker (Ryan Merriman).In terms of telling the basics about the Jackie Robinson story, "42" is a superb rendition. All of the important events are touched upon and in their proper places, while even the little details (like what the old-time stadiums looked like) are replicated. You'll feel like you are truly back in late 1940's America, warts and all.What truly makes this film stand out, though, is the acting from pretty much all the main characters. Ford especially shines with his spot-on Rickey, while Boseman embodies the courage, grace, and often torment that Robinson perpetuated on a day-to-day basis. On one occasion, Alan Tudyk (playing a particularly galling opposing manager) shines in his portrayal of the kind of racism that was hurled at Jackie from ballpark to ballpark.The only reason I can't give this film a full five stars? Simplicity. This is very much a "by the basics" type of movie and thus if (like me) you already know the ins-and-outs of the Robinson story, it won't have you thinking about anything new or touch any emotions that you haven't already felt. This is very much a film for those you know nothing about Robinson.Overall, though, "42" is an excellent choice of film-making if only because it revives a subject in desperate need of a face-lift. The experience can be enjoyed by the entire family (children all the way on up) and pretty much every segment of the population. I am glad that it was made.

klb4556 The above is really all I can say about this film. Amazing from start to finish. I saw this in the theater not expecting what I got. I was so moved by Jackie's story and what he ( and so many others) faced during the time it's set in. Living in the South, I fully understand the prejudices that still exist, and it's hard knowing that people were, and still are treated in astounding ways, just because of the color of their skin. It's a little slow at times, but any movie that builds characters and history usually is at times, which is my only reason for 9/10. Chadwick Boseman is spectacular! I could feel the tension he felt and could almost hear him gritting his teeth to keep back what he wanted to say. Harrison Ford makes me want to cry; if only everyone would look at the heart of the person, and not their skin, and be just and fair in a society of people who aren't, the world would be so much different. I also was thrilled to see Lucas Black- I try to watch everything that he's in because I have several friends who went to school with him, I know he's a down to earth guy as well as a great actor, and you won't be disappointed by a single person in the cast. Well.... except for the people who taunt and ridicule Jackie. You will find yourself getting really angry over what's said. There really is a brashness that you don't see with many films, unless they're to do with race. If you can make it through without yelling at the screen and the idiots who try to defeat Jackie, I can bet you'll be moved to tears in a very good way. This is very much like The Blind Side, so if you liked that, you will like this for sure! I recommend it to anyone and everyone I meet!

RealLiveClaude I remember seeing Jackie Robinson as a retired man and walking with a cane, being applauded before World Series games in 1972. Was wondering who was that man. My mother told me he did something important in baseball, better than a winning home run.Thank God what he did was open the doors to talented black and other ethnic players to play baseball, it changed the game forever.This movie depicts this feat done by this man as well as the audacious Branch Rickey, general manager of the Dodgers. Well photographed, story well written and good characters. I noticed there were a lot of barriers that the Dodgers itself had to suffer (bigotry, banned from hotels, possible strike by players, white people booing). But that did not move Jackie on the field.Sad that the producers did not shot a local scene regarding Montreal where he played for the "Royals". There was an anecdote that Robinson was ran over on the streets, not for bigotry, but for heroism on the field. And of course at the time, French-Canadians were subject to some bigotry by the English Canadian majority (until a certain Maurice Richard gave them courage to stand up, there was a movie about it...). Jackie Robinson is well honoured here with a statue near Olympic Stadium. However, the jersey said it all, and the former "Expos" did made a replica in 1992.For the rest, a movie to see. To remember that there a place for all, and all can succeed, despite the hatred and bigotry...

shebacat 42 is not just a film about the life of baseball player Jackie Robinson, it is a film about the era and culture of life in the mid 1940's. America had just emerged from WWII which had focused on the elimination of fascism in the world only to walk right into it's own war with racism. Nothing in American history can really show that better than the story about Jackie Robinson and his major league baseball journey. The movie is not just a baseball movie - but it does have some spectacular baseball scenes. It is a movie about the times, how racism permeated the fabric of America at that time. The open racism portrayed in the movie is both overwhelming and uncomfortable - which is it's design. I turned to my husband during one particular scene and said "I wish I could just reach through the screen and slap him upside the head". It really made me appreciate the choice of Jackie Robinson as the first African American to be picked to play in the majors. The person could not just have been a good ball player, he had to also be an upstanding citizen, and a man who would be able to take everything that was going to come his way. And Chadwick Boseman is perfect as Jackie Robinson delivering a heartfelt, gutsy and emotional performance of the man. He shows the many sides of Robinson - the love he had for his wife, the courage to stand, the anger at the constant racism, and, most important, the boldness to not fight back, holding his head high. He is a true American hero.The story isn't just about Robinson though - it is also about his teammates, all cast splendidly, and how they went from wanting to walk away, to supporting and then accepting him. Some poignant scenes are portrayed throughout the movie. It is about his relationship with his wife, played fantastically by Nicole Beharie, a strong woman in her own right, eventually crossing her own barrier lines. It's about the very courageous Branch Rickey played with perfection by Harrison Ford, who has the guts, and a wonderful reason reveled in the film, for bringing in an African American player to begin with. It's about the beginning of a civil rights movement here in America, which begins, rightfully so, with the most American of all pastimes - baseball.