Race - C+

Quick Hit: Not bad, but rarely different than anything that follows before it.
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A lot happened in the 1936 Olympics. We had one of our first revered Olympic champions – Jesse Owens. Hitler was also buoyed up for the world to see prior to WWII. Many people think that the involvement of Germany hosting the Olympics set the tone for the hostile takeovers of neighboring countries. There was also Olympia, one of the first movies made about the Olympics (which is featured in this film). What film are we talking about? The 2016 movie Race starring Stephan James and Jason Sudeikis.

It’s a decent film. It covers the beginnings of Owens professional career into the Olympics 

and the trials he faced being a black athlete in this time period. I had a couple negative things to say, but first I want to list some positives. First, the acting is good throughout. It’s nothing to write home about, as everyone stays in a fairly comfortable position. I think some of the best scenes came from veterans William Hurt and Jeremy Irons (but they should. They’re veterans for a reason, after all).

Next, I enjoyed the race/competition scenes. They were much better tactically then say, Chariots of Fire, but I will say they felt less important, with the exception of the Long Jump Competition. In fact, I’d say that was the most exciting scene in the whole thing. I understand you wanted some drama with his fiancée/wife, but it just didn’t add it for me. It took me out of 

the movie and left me wishing they’d get back to the track.

That is complaint number one: tonally the movie is a mess. It seems confused as to what type of movie it wants to be. Is it an intense biopic? Is it a buddy comedy between Owens and his coach? Is it a study of race relations in the late thirties? I have no idea what this movie is really supposed to be, and that’s why it turned into just a blah fest. And the mentioning of Olympia, while cool for a film buff, was unnecessary. It added nothing at all to the plot. We barely even see her on screen with Owens until the final shots. That’s ridiculous filmmaking.

There was a bit of shoddy effects work too. It is so obvious that the stadium shots are done via a green screen. You see the shifting ripples as Jesse turns. That’s just laziness. I understand on a movie that is largely a biography that the effects budget probably isn’t super high. But if that’s the case, don’t put it in.

Did I enjoy it? Eh. Was it terrible? No. Should you watch it? Decide for yourself. I’m giving Race a “C+”.
 
 For more on this film, check out IMDB.