Last week my Family and I had the pleasure of being invited to an advanced screening of Warner Bros. Pictures, King Richard ! It's based on the true story of Serena and Venus Williams and is one of the MOST inspiring movies I've seen all year. The movie will be released in theaters and HBO Max November 19th 2021 but I'm here to give you a spoiler free review and my honest opinions about this film.
What Is King Richard About
Synopsis
Based on the true story that will inspire the world, Warner Bros. Pictures’ 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. Two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith (“Ali,” “The Pursuit of Happiness,” “Bad Boys for Life”) stars as Richard, under the direction of Reinaldo Marcus Green (“Monsters and Men”).
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. The profoundly moving film shows the power of family, perseverance and unwavering belief as a means to achieve the impossible and impact the world.
Cast
Aunjanue Ellis (“If Beale Street Could Talk,” TV’s “Quantico”) plays the girls’ mom, Oracene “Brandi” Williams, Saniyya Sidney (“Hidden Figures,” “Fences”) stars as Venus Williams, Demi Singleton (TV’s “Godfather of Harlem”) stars as Serena Williams, with Tony Goldwyn (the “Divergent” series, TV’s “Scandal”) as coach Paul Cohen and Jon Bernthal (upcoming “The Many Saints of Newark,” “Ford v Ferrari”) as coach Rick Macci. The ensemble also includes Andy Bean (“IT Chapter Two”), Kevin Dunn (the “Transformers” films, HBO’s “Veep”) and Craig Tate (“Greyhound”).
My Thoughts on King Richard
Review
This has been the best feel good movie I have see all year! There were so many powerful messages of family, determination, humility and perseverance. It showed us the hurdles the Williams family had to overcome such as those of racism and social economic status, pointing out how hard work, assertiveness and self confidence is what helped them achieve everything they did as a family. This is portrayed by Richard Williams (Will Smith) all throughout the movie as well as both Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton) Williams.
The movie started strong by capturing our attention from the very start and continued through out the whole movie. It kept us wanting to know more about Richard Williams as a person and father. As mentioned above, Richard Williams was portrayed by none other than actor Will Smith, who in my opinion did an extraordinary job. From the start of the movie, Will Smith captured our hearts as a hardworking father who above all, believed in his daughters. All the emotions he portrayed in the movie transcended across the screen. Including his comedic talent. I felt every emotion he was portraying and even shed a few tears during the film. You will feel happy, scared, nervous, sad and proud.
Is King Richard Kid Friendly
The movie goes into a lot of detail about the family, their struggles, achievements and everything they went through to get there. Because they really go into detail, the film is a little over 2 hours long. However, the storyline doesn't seem to drag on or have unnecessary fillers like some do. Every detail in the film has an important part and helps explain what comes next.
With that being said, my daughter who is 9 sat and enjoyed the whole movie. She herself left the theater excited about what a good movie it was, not once complaining about being bored or uninterested. She's a 9 year old Latina, so you can imagine how thrilled I was that 1. She enjoyed the movie and 2. It gave me an opportunity to have an open discussion about some of the amazing powerful messages the movie portrayed.
The movie is rated PG-13. In the very beginning there is one scene where Richard Williams (Will Smith) gets into an altercation and some blood is shown as well as another scene where a person gets shot. Around that same time there is a sexual reference most kids might not understand, but I figured it was important to mention.
Final Thoughts
My Husband, daughter and myself absolutely loved the movie King Richard. I'll even go as far as saying that I'll be extremely surprised if this movie doesn't win several award for its amazing storyline and performances. This is definitely a must see movie! Check out the trailer and see for yourself.
If you enjoyed this review, please give it a like, pin it or share it with friends. Also after you watch it come back and let me know your thoughts on the movie.
Talk to you later!
