King Richard (2021)

The TRUE STORY of how Richard Williams served as a coach to his daughters Venus and Serena, who will soon become two of the most legendary tennis players in history.

Review:

Even before they were born, Richard Williams was determined to make his daughters, Venus and Serena, tennis superstars. Training rain or shine on public courts in Compton, California, Richard’s unyielding commitment trained two of the best players the sport has ever seen. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green.

I think I can speak for all of us when I say that Venus and Serena Williams are some of the most inspiring athletes that any sport has ever seen. They defied so many odds to become the champions they are today, but I had no idea their father was one of the biggest reasons for their success. Watching their story unfold made me cherish them even more and made me respect the man who made them: King Richard.

Richard is an eccentric man. He is a pretty unique character, and Will Smith was the perfect person to play him. Smith’s dialect flawlessly captured the Louisiana twang of Richard’s roots, and I could feel the emotion he poured into being the father of five accomplished daughters. He wasn’t the only star of the movie, however. I still can’t get over how sweet and talented the sisters were. Saniyya Sidney as Venus and Demi Singleton as Serena were not only great actresses but also great tennis players! Casting must’ve been a challenge, but the entire cast knocked it out of the park.

I understand that Venus and Serena’s childhood was the film’s focus, but the trials and tribulations we saw became repetitive in the two-and-a-half-hour runtime. That is a long time to see the girls training, especially since they didn’t play in many matches. I can count on two hands how many scenes could’ve been cut out without affecting the objective whatsoever.

But when it came to the big matches towards the end, I LOVED the visuals. It felt like almost every hit was shown from a different angle, including some on a TV screen. It made me feel like I was there and made the match so much more intense and meaningful.

Obviously, going into the movie, we know the outcome. Venus and Serena are incredibly decorated champions. But it would’ve been nice to see more of their life after the training with their father. There was text at the end that detailed their wins, and we got to see a few clips, but I would’ve liked to see more. Their careers deserve more than a 30-second summary, especially when we just watched two and a half hours of how they made it there.

Although King Richard may not have been the strict father we all wish we had, there is no denying that his unconventional methods were successful. I wish the movie was shortened a bit and went into Venus and Serena’s professional career more, but I was still very entertained and pleased with the watch. I hope Will Smith at least gets an Oscar nomination, and if he wins his first Oscar, you will hear no complaints from me.