Oracene is a force and Ellis does her justice, going toe-to-toe with Smith in multiple scenes and giving the movie an emotional core it would have otherwise lacked. Tennis is always a back and forth and thanks to her, King Richard serves it.
There’s never a feeling that there is nothing behind the wall you’re looking at. This universe feels thoroughly imagined and thanks to Villeneuve, the screen adaptation is worth your time.
This type of storytelling peaks when it feels like a fully formed story that just happens to hold elements that that speak to our world. But when done this way, it feels like a college essay.
The plot is kind of inane, the events are wholly unrealistic, and the characters are ankle deep water, but there is enough flare in the craft that it’s not a painful ride.