King Richard

“This is a fundamentally — and I would say marvelously — old-fashioned entertainment, a sports drama that is also an appealing, socially alert story of perseverance and the up-by-the-bootstraps pursuit of excellence.”

A.O. Scott, The New York Times · 90

“It’s serious at bottom. It means to teach and inspire, as well as entertain, and takes on more subjects of consequence than you can shake a racket at—among them race, parenting, marital dynamics, the weight of personal history and the mad commercialization of sports. Yet it’s marvelous fun from start to finish.”

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal · 90

“It’s the most sheerly pleasurable movie I’ve seen so far this year.”

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor · 90

“King Richard, though perhaps a tad overlong, is as irresistible as the young legends at its center; you watch with pleasure, thinking of the many future champions it might inspire.”

Moira Macdonald, The Seattle Times · 88

“Will Smith delivers a ferocious, all-consuming performance in King Richard, a thoroughly entertaining portrait of Richard Williams — better known as Venus and Serena’s father.”

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post · 88