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King Richard

King Richard

2021

Reinaldo Marcus Green

Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal, Saniyya Sidney ...

6.5

15,934

Drama Based on the true story, “King Richard" follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever. Driven by a clear vision of their future and using unconventional methods, Richard has a plan that will take Venus and Serena Williams from the streets of Compton, California to the global stage as legendary icons. [+]

	Author	Review
United States	David Ehrlich IndieWire	"A slick, fun, and fully authorized biopic (...) [It is] is such an easy film to sit through [because] the film embodies its namesake’s oft-repeated (...) ethos of making sure that fun comes first"	POS
United States	Peter Debruge Variety	"The beauty of Zach Baylin’s script is that hardly a single detail could be described as clichéd, since nothing quite like it has ever happened before"	POS
United States	Gregory Ellwood The Playlist	"The filmmakers are beyond lucky to have the performances from Smith and Ellis, as well as Venus’ own incredible story to keep you captivated when it matters most."	POS
United States	Monica Castillo The Wrap	"[It] is surprisingly more reflective and poignant than expected given its difficult subject (...) Green orchestrates these various elements into a symphony that’s a tribute to hard-working parents"	POS
United States	Justin Chang Los Angeles Times	"An engrossing family drama that doubles as a sharp rethink of how a family operates within the overlapping, often overbearing spheres of race, class, sports and celebrity."	POS
United States	Stephen Farber The Hollywood Reporter	"The film is smoothly crafted, but it is also repetitive and overlong (...) And despite its length, there are elements that are treated in a perfunctory manner"	NEU
United States	Todd McCarthy Deadline	"[Green] keeps a firm hand on the tone, gliding smoothly from warm family interludes to tense scenes (...) To be sure, this is Smith’s show from beginning to end, but energy levels run high throughout."	POS
United States	Richard Lawson Vanity Fair	"What keeps us invested is the cast’s invigorating performances. Smith does a captivating bit of mimicry while still adding his own signature inflection"	POS
United Kingdom	Alex Godfrey Empire	"As stirring and heart-warming as you'd like, this is a hugely touching family opus. It's nothing revolutionary, but it's straight from the heart and gets you in the gut (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"Enjoyable and well-crafted, this movie can't decide what to do with the tougher, darker side of Richard Williams (...) A strong, confident picture with winning performances from Sidney and Singleton (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Odie Henderson rogerebert.com	"'King Richard' is half sports movie, half biopic. As such, it hits the sweet spots and sour notes of both genres (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Helen O'Hara Time Out	"A fine Will Smith performance anchors this unusual take (...) An extraordinary story about a man who endured danger, ridicule and desperation to create the circumstances for them to thrive (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Peter Travers ABC News	"Will Smith gives the performance of his life (...) 'King Richard' is a crowd-pleaser in the best sense of the word. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll tell your friends, and you just might want to stand up and cheer"	POS
Canada	Mel Valentin Screen Anarchy	"Smith delivers one of the finest performances of his career, but he's not alone in delivering their level best to [this film]. It's relative newcomers Sidney and Singleton who deliver wonderfully genuine, grounded performances"	POS
United States	Johnny Oleksinski New York Post	"Will Smith finally makes a good movie again (...) Also a brilliant sports movie (...) You leave in awe of what he accomplished, but not admiring the whole man. Few biopics dare to have layers anymore (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune	"I couldn’t shake the feeling the key Williamses were being marginalized in their own story (…) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"	NEU
United States	Ann Hornaday The Washington Post	"Will Smith delivers a ferocious, all-consuming performance in 'King Richard,' a thoroughly entertaining portrait of Richard Williams (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Derek Smith Slant	"'King Richard' never delves into the disappointments and trauma that shadowed Richard Willliam's life (...) [It] is ultimately less a biopic than an act of image rehabilitation (…) Rating: ★½ (out of 4)"	NEG
United States	M.N. Miller Ready Steady Cut	"'King Richard' is a rare genuine crowd-pleaser with Will Smith's best performance since 'Ali' (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Jesse Hassenger AV Club	"'King Richard' is engrossing as it plays out, but the heat of its emotions cool off quickly. There's only so much a movie can do with repeated exaltations that father sure does know best"	NEU
Canada	Mae Abdulbaki Screen Rant	"There isn't much beyond the surface here, and that's fine for what 'King Richard' aims for, so long as viewers don't expect anything more than what it's offering (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Hoai-Tran Bui SlashFilm	"'King Richard' is purely a crowd-pleasing performance vehicle for Smith (...) While it doesn't dig as deeply or as sharply into Richard Williams, the man himself, as one would like, it does offer some sneaky social commentary"	POS
United States	Jake Kring-Schreifels The Film Stage	"Biopics tend to be overstuffed, bogged down by an incessant need to fill out their subject's life. But Green's latest offering never indulges the genre's cradle-to-grave instincts. It's a relief (...) Smith shines"	POS
United States	A. O. Scott The New York Times	"In the best Hollywood tradition, 'King Richard' stirs up a lot of emotion while remaining buoyant and engaging. It’s serious but rarely heavy."	POS
United States	Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"Sidney and Singleton are so strong, real, likable and believable as the girls, they remind us the people most responsible for the success of the Serena and Venus Williams are Serena and Venus Williams (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Brian Truitt USA Today	"[It succeeds] with its inspirational message, and Smith reigns playing a flawed man who’s just the right match for the A-lister’s talents (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS

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