A very boring history lesson that you could sleep through and still pass the class.
- Rated PG-13 For brief strong language.
- Who's going to like it: People who feel like they are supposed to because its awards season. But that's it.
- Who's going to like it: People who feel like they are supposed to because its awards season. But that's it.
The latest entry from legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood sucks. Plain and simple. Right from the very start this movie assumes that you love Nelson Mandela and know every intimate detail of this true story. I however didn't, so instead of getting to learn about powerful true story of a man who unites a nation I got to see a story that went nowhere and made me very sleeply. The pacing felt like watching someone as old as Mr. Eastwood try and run a marathon. He gets excited and starts to run but instantly gets tired and stops. The first half is a confusing attempt at a history lesson comparable to a lesson taught by a substitute teacher and the second half is a really lame attempt at Remember the Titans. See the scene where Matt and the boys visit the prison where Nelson spent 27 years.
It starts with Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) getting released from prison and running for office and winning the election and becoming the president. Breath. Now the story stops and gets confusing. Nelson has the task of uniting a nation full of racists. How will he do it? Rugby. But South Africa's Spring Bokke Rugby team blows. Their only fans are the small white minority. So Mr. Mandela decides to become friends with the team's captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon, The Bourne Trilogy and The Ocean's Trilogy) and create a wining team to unite the nation. So Nelson walks around, says some stuff, defends his decision to only focus his time as president on rugby and talks to Matt Damon. Then Matt Damon starts winning games out of nowhere. I now have another problem, we are watching Rugby. What is Rugby you may ask? After watching this movie I have less of an idea. The only thing we ever see is a couple of passes, guys kicking a ball through a field goal thing, and both teams pushing each other into each other. Then the movie suddenly ends after two very long hours.
Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela is a total joke. His performance is on par with Halle Barry in the first X-Men film. It must help to be the best friend of the director. Matt Damon however does such a good job with his accent you can't tell your who your watching just by listening to his voice.
Clint Eastwood who in the past has delivered some really great movies (Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, and Unforgiven) just got lazy. His score is a total joke. Every few minutes we get the same three notes followed by silence then later cut back to the same three notes then nothing. This goes on and on until randomly there is some strange pop song the fires off into the scene and really dives away from the "feel" of the movie.
This movie spends way too much time trying to make you care to actually be a great film. Watching the movie I had no idea the significance of the Rugby team or why Nelson Mandela cared so much because I sure didn't.
It starts with Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) getting released from prison and running for office and winning the election and becoming the president. Breath. Now the story stops and gets confusing. Nelson has the task of uniting a nation full of racists. How will he do it? Rugby. But South Africa's Spring Bokke Rugby team blows. Their only fans are the small white minority. So Mr. Mandela decides to become friends with the team's captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon, The Bourne Trilogy and The Ocean's Trilogy) and create a wining team to unite the nation. So Nelson walks around, says some stuff, defends his decision to only focus his time as president on rugby and talks to Matt Damon. Then Matt Damon starts winning games out of nowhere. I now have another problem, we are watching Rugby. What is Rugby you may ask? After watching this movie I have less of an idea. The only thing we ever see is a couple of passes, guys kicking a ball through a field goal thing, and both teams pushing each other into each other. Then the movie suddenly ends after two very long hours.
Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela is a total joke. His performance is on par with Halle Barry in the first X-Men film. It must help to be the best friend of the director. Matt Damon however does such a good job with his accent you can't tell your who your watching just by listening to his voice.
Clint Eastwood who in the past has delivered some really great movies (Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, and Unforgiven) just got lazy. His score is a total joke. Every few minutes we get the same three notes followed by silence then later cut back to the same three notes then nothing. This goes on and on until randomly there is some strange pop song the fires off into the scene and really dives away from the "feel" of the movie.
This movie spends way too much time trying to make you care to actually be a great film. Watching the movie I had no idea the significance of the Rugby team or why Nelson Mandela cared so much because I sure didn't.
(0 1/2 out of 5)
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