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King Richard (2021) Review

Feel Good Fun

SCORE: 82/100

Directed by: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Starring: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal

Synopsis: A look at how tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams became who they are after the coaching from their father Richard Williams.


****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD****


REVIEW:

King Richard, for better or for worse, is your typical feel good, based on a true story movie. And while it certainly is formulaic at points, it's made better because of its stellar performances.

Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way, this is among Will Smith's best work. In playing Richard Williams, Smith has committed to playing a character that is so full of love for his kids and their future that it's truly inspiring. His accent and mannerisms are so spot on, at least as far as the archival footage shows. I truly think he's in the running to go up against Benedict Cumberbatch for the Oscar this year. Also incredible is Aunjanue Ellis as Oracene Williams, Venus and Serena's mother. Her performance exudes a motherly presence and power that is exuberant yet reserved. It's absolutely beautiful, and the chemistry between Smith and Ellis, as well as their children, is awesome. It truly feels like they are a family. Jon Bernthal totally plays against type here, playing someone who's just as excited for their success as their parents are. It's refreshing, seeing as he usually plays darker characters. The child actors are alright, they aren't necessarily good or bad. They serve the purpose of playing the characters, but I don't think either the Williams sisters were anything to write home about. 

My first major critique would be that the film felt formulaic. While it's about a different family, area, and sport, it does feel like I've seen this move a hundred times. The kids are good at X sport, tey perform well early, there's some setbacks, then the movie shows their successes. Very formulaic, but what makes this one stand out is that it's anchored by incredible performances and more time spent as a family, and less time on the court.

That leads me into what prevents me from loving this movie: the sport. I am NOT a sports person, and I have absolutely no care for tennis, or any other sport for that reason. I find it incredibly difficult to be interested in something as boring as people hitting a ball across a court. Now, I have enjoyed sports films in the past, specifically Moneyball, but this film doesn't do enough for me to make the sport interesting or tense. I knew there were stakes, but the games never communicated that to me, rather the expressions of the Williams family did. While I feel that this was a major misstep, it's only for part of the movie. 

With these critiques in mind, I can still safely recommend King Richard as most audiences will get more out of it than I did, mostly from a sports appreciation level. It's still inspiring and definitely hits you in the positivity target at the end, so it is a feel good movie to end the year.

Final Thought: King Richard's performances and time spent with the Williams family more than save what would normally be a formulaic, true story sports film.

Score: 82/100

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