Race

Rated PG-13 / 2 hr 14 min / Biography - Drama

What is it about?

Jesse Owens is fast, really fast, really really fast. Not as fast as The Flash though. I mean the guy is only human. He is going to college at Ohio State University, so his mom wants him to look nice. She made him a rubber Batman suit. The football team hasn't been integrated yet, so Jesse can either go into Track and Field or Competitive Basket Weaving. Of course he chooses Basket Weaving. That is until Godzilla comes to town. That is when he rediscovers his love for running... from Godzilla. He becomes so good at it that he goes to compete in the Olympics. There he bears witness to a cop from the future unleashing the Kung Fury on Adolf Hitler.

You will like it if...

You like interesting biographical movies. Jesse Owens doesn't seem like the most interesting person in history, but that doesn't mean that his story isn't a compelling one. With the rise of Nazi Germany serving as a backdrop for the Olympics in which Owens won 4 gold medals. The film raises a very important question that is still valid today. Should we protest what we see as being inherently corrupt and wrong, or do we work within the system trying to fix it? Jeremy Irons and William Hurt provide the best performances, but they are much smaller side characters. The rest of the cast give decent performances, but none are really noteworthy. If you are interested in Jesse Owens, the impact of his performance at the 1936 Olympics, or underdog sports stories then Race is worth a look. Unless you are super excited to see this film, I would wait until it is out at Redbox or on Netflix.

Next Week

Gods Of Egypt, Triple 9, Eddie The Eagle, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 2, or whichever film you vote for. Vote early, vote often, vote in the comments or Godzilla will pick the movie! As always the movie selection is subject to change based on what is showing here in theaters.

Upcoming to DVD on February 23

• The Good Dinosaur - Pixar almost always gives yummy goodness
• Spotlight - One of my favorite films of 2015 although I didn't review it here
• Secret In Their Eyes - What did they do to Julia Roberts? Awesome twists in this one if you can get past the comatose beginning.