Message from the King

Fairly decent, memorable for Chadwick Boseman's performance and some pretty tense scenes, but not really in the same ball park as some of the best revenge movies.

This film was made around the period when Chadwick's illness was discovered. He made the majority of his films since then, between surgeries and chemos. As another reviewer noticed he's an actor comparable to Denzel Washington. Maybe yes, unfortunately he hasn't had the time to prove that. My first thought was the same when I first saw him, btw. This film, Marshall, 21 Bridges, and of course Black Panther: mnany different roles and all superb acting. His passing is an irreplaceable loss for his family, for the black community and for every moviegoer and filmlover. Rest In Peace, Chadwick. Your memory never will be forgotten. You remain the King and a Hero in many ways.

The story is nothing really special. Guy comes to LA to look for his sister and he gets tangled in the mess that she was in. He uses his tough South African skills to punish people. Liam Neeson did it with great success, Chadwick Boseman does it too.

It was the acting that was pretty decent, though, as well as the portrait of the city as a corrupt place that feeds on hope and takes it all away. The "message from the king" is that you may have a lot of money and live in a big rich place and still be just as rotten as the most crime ridden places in Africa.

Bottom line: a linear and predictable story that only highlighted the good acting and subtle message on the background.

Nice to see Chadwick in a role other than that of a superhero and/or a 'good guy'

The story could have done with being more refined, and with more substance

This movie shows you what cinema should look like. This old craft of making movies with tempo, cinematography, editing and score is deprived of all imprints of judgement, opinion or the director's indulging in his pretentious personality as many directors strive to do these days; it seems that the director has nothing to prove but only the commitment to telling a beautiful masterful story filmed with excellence and craftsmanship. The goal here is to learn what real cinema is. Everything serves the story, everything is well balanced. It's an exercise in genre and a director's pure intentions to making only cinema. You don't get pitiful emotion or euphoric fake bliss you only marvel in excellence. No shot is overrated, no emotion is fake. This is a work of a master. And these days masters are found in Europe. It brought me back to my film school days when I was in awe with the great directors of past and how they can create a work of art without the excesses of today's cinematic work that is riddled with uselessness and has no soul or beauty. Mind you, this is not a masterpiece, far from it; rather this is a lesson of what true cinema is... Watch it and be in awe...