King Richard

King Richard is the true story behind the best women tennis players of all time; Serena and Venus Williams. In this biography, we see how the legendary athletes' father brought them up from humble beginnings against all odds.

Will Smith's performance as the titular character is simply phenomenal! In the first few minutes it may seem like his accent is a little try-hardy, but it smooths out rather quickly before you even notice it. For a rather middling content, his star presence is the foremost thing that keeps you watching till the end. All the little care the actor adapted for the character from real life, such as the constantly-slouched back and neverending ramblings are really appreciable! His 78-page planner, how he teaches his kids the meaning of humility through forced walk and Cinderella rewatch plus the ways he diligently trains his daughters even at the expense of interrupting and arguing with the generous coach and sponsors are sequences to behold! It's also truly pitiful to see him pulped by local youngins, that too in front of his daughters, and the monologue he gives about how his father ran away when he was beaten up as a young child is heartbreaking for real!

King Richard is a very proud, determined and principled man who believes he knows what's best for his daughters. From admonishing interviewers to stalling the tennis matches which in turn stumps his daughters’ career progression, the man wants to make sure his kids grow up wholesome and well-rounded. But this is the Lie that has been bogging him down, thus impacting his children's future. He keeps pushing the inevitable away because he is scared. Scared of failing.

Probably the biggest issue with the motion picture would be the lack of any heavy stakes, hence leaving the end product feeling pretty tame. In good (let alone great) storytelling, conflicts are vital and there must be a certain struggle. This is of course not a rule, but rather a paradigm that is true for stories that want to be more than just plot vehicles. While signing a contract that involves the entire family sounds unbelievable, this is undeniably a true story that once happened. However, the actually-played playoffs and the climactic tennis court match with the world's best player at the time; Vicario (Marcela Zacarias) are well-oiled for tension that's for damn sure, especially with her unusually long bathroom break. Venus (Saniyya Sydney) losing the final match but gaining a new fanbase for herself is beautiful to witness!

All the actors performed naturally, with that Nike contract discussion scene being the enough testimony. There's a beautiful understanding between Venus and Serena (Demi Singleton) seen through many shots, such as them swapping their gold and silver trophies. King Richard tells Serena, who is in the shadows, that he has everything planned out - Venus would be the world's number one, but Serena would be the best of all time. And just like he said, we see this come to fruition during the end credits. It's extremely delightful, awe-inspiring and this feeling alone is worth the time and money you'll spend for this cinematic biography!