Critics Consensus

Critics Consensus: 42 Is Earnest and Inspirational

Plus, Scary Movie V wasn't screened for critics -- guess the Tomatometer!

by | April 11, 2013 | Comments

This week at the movies, we’ve got a pioneering ballplayer (42, starring Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford) and a horror spoof (Scary Movie V, starring Ashley Tisdale and Simon Rex). What do the critics have to say?

42

81%

The life of Jackie Robinson is so readymade for cinema that it would be hard to mess it up. And indeed, critics say 42 is a warm, inspirational tribute to a great American hero, even if it often plays things a little too safe. Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) becomes the first African American to play in the majors when Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) signs him to a contract, and his inspired play and unimpeachable character strike a blow against prejudice. The pundits say 42 is so beautifully filmed and well acted that it triumphs over the filmmakers’ strict adherence to the biopic playbook. (Check out this week’s Total Recall, in which we count down Ford’s best-reviewed movies, as well as our list of the best-reviewed baseball movies of all time.)

Scary Movie V

4%

We’d love to let you know if Scary Movie V provides uproarious laughter and incendiary satire, but it was barely reviewed prior to its release in theaters. This latest installment of the venerable spoof series offers more of the same: satirical jabs at contemporary horror movies, with a bunch of famous people — including Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, and Snoop Dogg — making cameos. Once again, it’s time to guess the Tomatometer! (Check out this week’s 24 Frames for a gallery of long-running movie franchises.)

Also opening this week in limited release: