User reviews

'Race' is an overall entertaining movie hampered by some fairly predictable flaws. It features pretty standard sports movie clichés, e.g., hard-ass coach with heart of gold, rival who becomes best friend, etc. The personal (melo)drama seems pretty mundane, and, as to be expected in historical dramas, certain liberties are taken with the facts for dramatic purposes. But there is interesting dramatic tension in the scenes in which the US Olympics commission debates boycotting the '36 games, and in Owens' personal struggle over whether to compete in the face of certain factions of the black community entreating him not to. The actual scenes of competition are presented in an exciting fashion. My favorite scene captures Owens' P.O.V. as he enters Berlin Stadium at the height of pre-War Nazi pageantry, Hindenburg flying overhead, Hitler waving in the stands to a thunderous chorus of "Sieg Heils." It must have been overwhelming. Carice van Houten plays Leni Refienstahl as a sympathetic character, defying Goebbel's orders to tell the true story of the 1936 Olympics, and Stephan James as Owens provides an enjoyable leading performance.

Racial discrimination both at home and in Germany are in the forefront of this movie so the races become a battle of good vs evil. The victories are that much more moving because of that. Lots of pointed references to how discrimination was in the U.S. before and after the Olympics.

The supporting cast are good. Jeremy Irons is effective as the questionable Avery Brundage who does some good by pushing for participation over boycott but also possibly being bought by the Germans. Carice Van Houten plays the infamous Leni. Strangely, instead of being shown as a Nazi propogandist, she is shown as a hero here pushing for including Jesse in her film. The actor who plays Goebbels is totally wrong for him. Google the real one. Stephan James as Jesse Owens doesn't overact and keeps his performance dignified. Jason Sudekis is good in a non comedic role as the coach.

Effecive use of effects to recreate the stadium and crowds.

A fascinating and well made movie

They say those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I guess this motto is the reason Hollywood continues to make historical figure movies at least once a year. This weekend, the life of track legend Jesse Owens comes to the silver screen in the movie entitled Race. While the Oscars may eat up these kinds of movies, they sometimes get overcredited with being the best movie over the year. So once more I dive into my local theater to review the latest in cinematic productions. Let's get to it then.

When it comes to historical biographies such as Race, you look for a portrayal that elicits pride, passion, and other emotions that will inspire the audience. And once more Hollywood manages to bring all of that to bear with cinematic magic. Race is packed with well edited sequences that show the struggles Owens faced in his day as he trained to become the champion. The racial fervor of the times is brought in full force with extras intensely screaming with furious scowls painting their faces. Captains and financers of the Nazi regime are even more chilling, as they radiated the menacing energy we've come to know from history, adding suspense to the film. The emotion it brings will truly unnerve some people, and I'm sure some group will get offended by the portrayal of some Race in this movie (despite the inspirational theme in this movie).

But the negativity is only one side of the coin, and Race does an even better job with their more lighthearted moments. The training sessions are just the ice breaker to preaching the morals of hard work and determination. Once at the meets, things get turned up a notch with blaring music and beautiful shots raise your emotions to new heights. With each shot of the gun, each stride across the track, I felt roped into Owens world. And the finale… well lets just say the morals they preach would be grand for today's society could stand to learn from. Of course being based on actual events, this suspense can be missing if you know Owens accomplishments already, which is unfortunate in these types of movies.

Yet even the best editor can only do so much and we switch our focus to the actors now. Stephan James gets two thumbs up from this reviewer for his portrayal of Owens. He was able to capture the work ethic of Jesse, delivering powerful lines to motivate the audience, but not to cross the line into cheesiness and overdramatic presentation. In addition he adds a nice comedic edge that balances his character out into a new light. Jason Sudeikis also did his role justice playing Larry Snyder, the coach of our Olympian. Rarely do you see Sudeikis in a serious role, so it was refreshing to see him tackle this part. He has emotional fervor, bringing fire to the screen as he defends his morals and encourages his athletes to give it his all. Sure the screaming rants were a little over done, but all in all it worked for me. However, don't think his comedy has been drained away, Sudeikis still brings his comedic timing to the picnic and reigned his ridiculousness in for this film. These two have great chemistry and together really sold the story.

Yet with all the good I've mentioned, we should probably talk about some of the limitations to this film. The first is of course the predictability of this story. YES I know when it comes to historical biographies you have only so much to work with, but it still slightly takes away from the suspense and mystery. A second limitation was the lack of seeing his relationship with his teammates that could have led to some interesting substories and character building. Yes we did see some of this near the end, and it was probably more important to portray the pressure placed on his shoulders, but still I would have liked to see a little more. As such there were a few moments that could have been left out of the movie to either make the run time shorter or make room for some other plot lines. Outside of that though, it is quite a fun and entertaining film.

Overall, Race does it job to illustrate the past and inspire you to accomplish your dreams. The phenomenal editing and great casting truly preach the morals and lessons that history has to offer us. Yet it is a simplistic movie that lacks a lot of special effects are uniqueness to require a theater visit. As for the accuracy of this film, I can't say as I need to revisit his biography at some point. Historical fanatics are going to enjoy this the most, but those who appreciate good acting should check this one out. My one hope is that this movie doesn't add further fuel to the fire and cause another fight on social media or some other avenue.

My scores for this film are:

Biography/Drama/Sport: 7.5-.8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0

Attention younger generations:

Avery Brundage was an unapologetic and unbending racist Nazi sympathizer. To portray him as this farcical film does, as a hero fighting for Jesse Owens so perverts history that it should be a crime. And, Leni Reifenstal WAS a Nazi and supported Hitler and his actions throughout the war and its buildup without reservation.

The main underlying objective of this movie seems to be that Avery Brundage wasn't the renowned corrupt amoral Nazi sympathizer and racist anti-semite that history knows him to have been. For me, one of the most compelling stories in our history was totally ruined by the complete re-writing of history to vindicate the American racist anti-semitic Brundage, one of the most vile, despicable, destructive forces in the history of sport, not just for America but the world. Brundage was absolutely explicit in his contempt for Owens, Jews, and African-Americans, and never made ANY protests over the treatment of Owens or any other American.

Additionally, Leni Reifenstal supported the Nazis and Hitler without reservation throughout the regime, and if she indeed prevailed to film Owens, it was for the sake of the film, not because she rejected Hitler's racism and anti-semitism.

Why the history lesson and very little about the film? Because films like this which pervert history distort this and future generation's understanding of the times and the people. Everything but the fictional propaganda of a script, full of more lies than Trump and Clinton told all year, and ending with a totally fabricated meeting between Owens and Reifenstal, one last attempt to rescue her reputation and bastardize history.

This is appalling piece of film making. Beautifully told lies are still lies, and this film is one gigantic lie.

It's easy to get distracted by… well, life – even when you're doing something important (maybe, ESPECIALLY when you're doing something important). If you have a faithful "significant other" who is not around at the moment, you may be tempted to stray from "Miss Right" in favor of "Miss Right Now" (or "Mr.…" whichever the case may be). If you're determined to accomplish something big, you may be confronted with people who believe you will fail (and even want you to fail) – and openly express those feelings, whether out of pettiness, jealousy or even the color of your skin. If you're succeeding at something that draws a lot of attention, others will want to use you or your accomplishments to further their own personal, financial or political goals. These are just some of the distractions competing for the main character's attention in "Race" (PG-13, 2:14). Of course, I think we'd all agree that, in the end, what defines each of us is how we deal with our distractions. Jesse Owens learned that lesson well.

Stephan James plays the legendary runner from the ages of 20 to 23, the years that turned him from virtually unknown high school track star in Cleveland, Ohio to the man who defied Adolph Hitler's myth of "Aryan" racial superiority at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Jesse (actually, "J.C.", notwithstanding his elementary school teacher's misunderstanding his name) is in a long-term relationship with Ruth Solomon (Shanice Banton), with whom he has a little girl, but he has to say goodbye to both of them (and his large family) to begin his higher education and college track and field career at The Ohio State University in Columbus. It is there that he meets track coach Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis), the man tasked with turning Owens' raw talent into even greater accomplishments.

Owens first struggles with, then learns to overcome the distractions of sexual temptation, racial prejudice and the competing interests of some pretty important people who are determined to make Owens a pawn in their games of politics and perception. Early on we see Owens' incredible performance at a 1935 Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he put together what many people consider the most impressive 45 minutes in sports history. While at a meet in L.A., Owens' growing fame attracts the attention of the sexy, glamorous and wealthy Quincella, otherwise known as major distraction no. 1. Throughout his life, and even as a famous athlete, Owens has to endure the indignities of being forced to use "colored" entrances to buildings, being literally pushed aside by his white teammates and having racial epithets screamed at him while he's competing. (This is major distraction no. 2, but it also shows the illogic and hypocrisy of racism as his successes lead those who treat him horribly to cheer, embrace – and use him.) This brings us to major distraction no. 3 – the politics which swirled around Jesse Owens.

As Owens works hard to become a better runner – and a better man – the pattern of ethnic and racial discrimination in the Olympics' designated host country overshadows (and even threatens to derail) Owens' growing list of successes and his potential future accomplishments. The U.S. Olympic Committee (with Oscar winners Jeremy Irons and William Hurt representing conflicting positions) debate whether it's more important for the U.S. to boycott the Berlin games to make a statement about Germany's human rights abuses or for the American athletes (including the black and Jewish ones) to have the hard-won opportunity to compete – and maybe even to beat the Nazis at their own… games. Eventually, the debate literally arrives at Owens' doorstep as a representative of the relatively new NAACP puts significant pressure on Owens to refuse to attend the games as a way of striking a blow against discrimination. Owens now has the same debate within himself as the U.S. Olympic Committee had on behalf of all the athletes. It's no great mystery which decisions are made, but it's still interesting to see these stories play out on the national and international levels – and on a very, very personal level.

"Race" is solid entertainment and very inspirational, but not as impactful as it could have been. James makes Owens' struggle suitably personal, but his portrayal lacks the emotional depth that would have really driven the movie's messages home. SNL's Sudeikis is effective at playing it straight, but is a little shallow as Owens' coach-mentor-friend. The screenplay, by Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse, does a great job at balancing Owens' story with the surrounding historical drama and spares us the full ugliness of the Nazis' treatment of their own people and Americans' treatment of Owens, but fails to go far enough into the story's most important issues. Stephen Hopkins' direction is even-handed, but antiseptic. "Race" is appropriate for families, but should have explored the parallels between the racial issues of the 1930s and those of the 2010s. While we do see a reflection of the ongoing argument over whether it's more important to take a stand than to overcome adversity through accomplishment, the theme isn't sufficiently played out. Overall, the film effectively tells the dual stories implied by its title, while it educates and inspires, and it has its thrilling moments, but it runs past issues that would have been better served by a deep dive (if you'll excuse the mixed sports metaphor). "B+"

RACE is a "by-the-numbers" bio-pic of Jesse Owens and his 4 Gold Medals won at the 1936 Olympics in the heart of Nazi Germany. A perfectly agreeable - and instantly forgettable - movie that skims the surface, but never really delves into, the events that transpired.

Director Stephen Hopkins has mainly worked in television and it shows as this film was nice, hitting on some controversial topics of race and politics, but never really hitting them too hard. As soon as the movie hits on a topic, it moves on to some sort of "feel good" moment, mostly of Owens winning a race.

While the stakes in the world were high at the time, the stakes in this movie never really seemed high. Partly, I blame the director, but there should also be fault found in the two lead performances of Stephan James (as Jesse) and Jason Sudekis as his coach, Larry Snyder. They both do some good "TV" acting, in that they hit a note of contemplation, or angst or sadness right before they jump to another scene and the previous scenes emotions were completely forgotten.

A case in point was the championships where Owens hurts his back right before competing. There's a confrontation scene between Owens and Snyder where the coach declares "I'm going to scratch you" from this very big race. Owens glares and says "no way" and then competes and sets all types of records and the injury was never spoken of, or referred to, or even was a factor in the race.

All in all a "fine" motion picture, one that I will forget that I saw when I look back at the films that I viewed in 2016.

6 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis

"A man has to present an image to the world." Jesse Owens (James) is a college track star. His coach Larry Snyder (Sudeikis) pushes him to be the best he can be. Jesse pushes himself on and off the track to be the best person and athlete he can be. Everything is going as he wants, he becomes a record breaking collegiate champion with his Olympic dream in his sights. The only thing stopping him is his conscience. With Olympic gold in his grasp Jesse must decide if he is willing to compete in Germany, as an African-American, with Hitler watching. This movie is in my wheelhouse. Not only is this a sports movie but its a true story as well. I knew the basics of the Owens story, but this movie goes deeper into the pressure put on him from both sides of the Nazi debate. Even knowing how the movie will turn out the drama was gripping enough to keep me interested and wondering how he got to where he was at. Sudeikis actually does a really good job in a non comedic role and is almost the perfect choice for the coach. This is a movie I cannot say enough about. I highly recommend this, and the use of the n-word is limited so this is OK for family viewing as well. Overall, a sports movie that once again shows the triumph of the human spirit and how everyone is equal when the gun goes off. I give this an A-.

I enjoyed this movie but there are a few problems I have with it.

I wish they wouldn't have tried to include so many scenes that are meant to explain the history of Nazi Germany and the controversy with the Berlin Olympics. There are scenes that take us far from Jesse and Ohio State track team into conferences with the international Olympic committee and meetings with German diplomats. I personally think that the history of the German Nazi Olympics is knowledge that most people are at least mildly aware of, but even if an audience knows nothing about it, you can tell a story that makes it clear without literally having to show the Olympic meetings. A story about Jesse Owens is a story about Jesse Owens. There are far too many and too long scenes that have nothing to do with him personally.

The other major problem I have is the accents. Jesse's accent changes constantly. It goes from general rural African American accent to 2016 Stephan James. Larry Snyder only ever sounds like 2016 Jason Sudekis. It's not right for the place nor the time. It distracts from the movie because all I can hear is funny guy SNL Jason.

The acting isn't phenomenal. There's a lot of unnatural dialogue moments. Far too many. But it's not terribly awful. Just awkward and a bit distracting.

Historical inaccuracies are a major complaint I see, and while I can understand that, I personally didn't find them to be obviously distracting (aside from Jason sounding like he's doing an SNL skit instead of even attempting any accent.) All other characters accents are random as well. Sometimes they fit, other times the don't. Sometimes it seems like they intentionally wanted to neutralize accents.

Overall it's just kinda meh. It's better than average, but they didn't do Jesse justice in forming an emotional connection with him. He's presented in a meh way. You're rooting for him of course but you're not really enthusiastic. i didn't form an emotional connection where I really cared about him. I wish they would've cut the diplomat meeting scenes and used that time to give us more backstory and emotion for Jesse.

Disappointing. Could've been great but it just didn't meet my expectation.

You don't want to throw around the word epic and overuse it, but when you make a movie about the Olympics, it's usually a movie about one athlete taking on the world (sport depending). For Jesse Owens this concept is met with more difficulty. A black man barely welcomed in his own backyard gets the chance to run in the greatest competition of all time, in another country that does not accept him as well, and he does it and helps change the face of the world forever.

Stephen James did a fantastic job playing Jesse Owens. He gave a lot a heart to it, which was important. It's a great reflection of who Owens was.

Becoming a huge fan of the work of Jason Sudeikis who plays Jesse's Coach, Larry Snyder. The well known funny man takes the same position as Sylvester Stallone did in Creed with this dramatic supporting role, and it was a decent turn to see him do something a little different.

Also want to give credit to Jeremy Irons who plays Avery Brundage of the U.S Olympic committee. Race mostly focus on the life of Owens up to the 1936 games, but also has a great side story about America dealing with the Nazi Regime with the Olympics being held in their hometown. Irons is the center of this sub plot and does a good job making it interesting.

For what it is, I'm also fairly impressed with the CGI being used to built the 1930s in this movie. Race is a big movie and the visual effects help make it look better. I wish the budget was bigger so that the effects could be better, but it's very impressive for a 5 million dollar film.

The only odd thing that was distracting is that it looks like they used visual effects to replace stunt men in the movie. Instead of getting a stunt double who looked fast enough to play Owens, they have parts in Race that just look like the took footage of Stephen James and speed it up to make his running faster. Not sure about this method, and others were they used digital images for high jumps, or a least that's what it looks like.

But overall, Race impressed me. It's a good tear jerker that puts a a smile on your face. Truly an epic movie about overcoming the biggest obstacles to be the very best.

This true story of an American hero is written by Joel Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse and directed by Stephen Hopkins – a team that has managed to place before the public one of the finer biographies of a sports superstar as well as a powerful statement about racism in this country and abroad on the screen today. It is filled with excellent and sensitive performances in major and minor roles and the fact that it is not being considered for awards seems oddly uninformed.

The title of the film – RACE - is most appropriately chosen as it asks the audience to transpose concepts of sportsmanship to considerations of racial bigotry both of the past and the present. And that works very well indeed. Using the extremes of Nazi Germany extermination of Jews, Blacks, gypsies, gays etc in the name of Aryan supremacy is shudderingly demonstrated, but equally difficult is the manner in which the film places a mirror to America, both in the more blatant era of the 1930s (in schools, restaurants, and African American families) of the hurtful racism that still exists is so important for us to see enacted on the big screen.

Briefly, Jesse Owens' quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler's vision of Aryan supremacy. But more specifically, in the 1930s, Jesse Owens (Stephan James in an Oscar worthy performance) is a young man who is the first in his family to go to college. Going to Ohio State to train under its track and field coach, Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis, proving that he is a fine actor in a fine film instead of just another silly goofus as in his usual films), the young African American athlete quickly impresses with his tremendous potential that suggests Olympic material. However, as Owens struggles both with the obligations of his life and the virulent racism against him, the question of whether America would compete at all at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany is being debated vigorously. When the American envoy (Jeremy Irons) finds a compromise persuasive with the Third Reich to avert a boycott, Owens has his own moral struggle about going – not only the race issues but leaving behind his girlfriend (Shannon Banton) and their child. Upon resolving that issue, Owens and his coach travel to Berlin to participate in a competition that would mark Owens as the greatest of America's Olympians even as the German film director, Leni Riefenstahl (Carice van Houten), locks horns with her country's Propaganda Minister, Josef Goebbels (Barnaby Metschurat), to film the politically embarrassing fact for posterity.

There are many significant minor roles portrayed by William Hurt, Eli Goree, Jonathan Higgins, Shamier Anderson, and especially David Kross who plays Carl 'Luz' Long – Jesse's German rival with whom Jesse finds support and understanding in a very moving scene.

There are many reasons to see this film, or better yet town it to share with others. It is an outstanding achievement with a very important message.

The Jesse Owens story is extraordinary. It deserved a film for sure. But it deserved to be told with care. I have no doubt there was a ton of passion from everyone involved with the making of 'Race' but I also think there was just too much information for the filmmakers to give Owens the proper big screen adaptation. At times the film is special as Stephan James gives a really good performance as Owens, but other times I felt myself wondering why I was watching a film focusing on a handful of other characters when this was supposed to be a legit Jesse Owens biopic.

James' performance is probably the standout here but the entire cast rounds out the film well. Jeremy Irons, Carice van Houten, William Hurt, and even Jason Sudeikis bring plenty of credibility to one of the most important stories in Olympic history as Jesse Owens attempted to overshadow Hitler's regime by breaking records in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Although predictable and cliché at times, I found myself enjoying the relationship between Owens and his coach/trainer played by Sudeikis. I wasn't however that found of them including so much focus on the other aspects of the Berlin Olympics (though still interesting material).

I understand these Olympics had many moving vehicles that were important to the overall history of the event, but I just ended up wishing Jesse Owens got more of a focus. With that said, the times when he got his time to shine, the film was at its best. The last act of the film in Berlin felt very cinematic. The games, beginning with one long shot, felt like something made for an IMAX screen. The CGI for the Olympic Stadium also looked surprisingly well for a lower budget film (apparently 5 million). Overall, I don't think this film is as fascinating as the story it's based on is, but there's still redeemable qualities to make it a winning sports drama in my book.

+James' lead performance

+CGI

-Covered too much for its own good

6.3/10

Race, a film about the legendary Olympian Jesse Owens, is a story that deserves a good biopic. Owens means more to me for what his achievement meant to politics than as an athlete; "Race" is an obviously perfect title for concisely referring to both. The film itself is competently done in many of its technical aspects, although the way the names of places are paraded on screen when the story switches settings is tacky, at best. James gives a good performance; much of the film's handling of his story is well done.

The problem is that the film attempts to include too much. There's not much reason why this needed to go above the two-hour mark. We see a lot of scenes where Owens isn't present, and many of these don't need to be here. He don't need a story about the general history of Nazi Germany; we don't need to see the conflicts between Goebbels and his film director; we don't even need to see as much as what we saw about the debate as to whether the US should boycott the Olympics. Immaterial, and trimming can heighten impact. I was half- expecting we'd get a scene depicting Hitler committing suicide in his bunker. Still, on the whole, Race, as a story about Owens, makes a nice statement.

Jessie Owens will go down in the history books as an athlete who didn't compete for long, but did something that took a stab at prejudices; he competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin that was under the rule of the Nazi party, an organization that considered people of color in the same tier as Jewish people. The Olympics have never supposed to be about politics, but when the games are set in a state with a controversial government, it's understandable that people are going to take sides on what's more important. Is it better to go to the Olympics for yourself or to take a stand with your country and protest?

And this issue was on Jessie Owens shoulders, who was already facing problems because of the color of his skin. These kinds of people deserve some form of immortality for making these moments happen. To him, this was simply taking his skill of sprinting and running with it (no pun intended) all the way to the top. The Olympics are for the best of the best, and Jessie Owens had the bad luck of competing in Berlin out of all possible years. Race chronicles that famous year in which Owens went to the Olympics.

Jessie Owens (played by Stephen James) is attending Ohio State University while caring for his family, fiancé Ruth, and his baby daughter. He had the grades to get into better schools, but he chose this college as the coach of the track and field team was Larry Snyder (played by Jason Sudeikis). Snyder happens to be a former athlete who nearly got to go to the Paris games of 1924, but is now having trouble winning matches with his current lineup. As a guy who wants the best of the best, the prejudices of color don't matter to him, especially seeing how fast Owens is.

Owens claims several wins for his school, giving him leverage to join the 1936 Olympic team. There is pressure from the public for the U.S. to boycott the games, but the president of the International Olympic Committee, Avery Brundage (played by Jeremy Irons), insists that the country will compete, as the games are not political. With some insistence that the games are a once in a lifetime chance, Owens heads to Berlin with Snyder as something of a secret coach. He faces against some impressive German runners and the constant reminder that the Nazis dislike him.

The good news is that Race happens to be very entertaining. Unlike the most recent bio stories that put a particular focus on the subject (like with Steve Jobs and the three act structure around presentations), this tells the story as it probably was. It'll serve as a good educational lesson about Jessie Owens and what he was facing during his time in the Olympics. Stephen James makes for a good Jessie Owens, though the biggest surprise is Jason Sudeikis who is primarily known for comedic roles. He is an example that comedic actors can handle dramatic material just as well.

The bad news is that Race tries to tell a lot of side material along with the story of Jessie Owens. We get Jason Sudeikis' story of being a coach, Jeremy Irons and the Olympic Committee struggle, a Nazi director insuring that the games are to the liking of the führer, and even one with a German movie maker making sure she can shoot the games properly. At least one of these had to be cut, because these stories almost push Owens out of his own story. At least the movie tries it's hardest to work with itself to ensure that Race belongs to Owens.

I'll give this seven sprinter shoes out of ten. Race may not be a gold medal winner like it's subject, but it has plenty of substance to make it worth watching.

It was with some trepidation that I went to see this movie. Jesse Owens had been my sports hero since the eighth grade when I discovered that he still held the world broad jump record after 24 years, an extraordinarily long time for a 12-year-old to contemplate, and won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games. Aware of the all-to-obvious double-edged potential of a title like "Race," I had the nagging feeling that the biopic would devolve from the record-breaking years of a remarkable talent into one of those sanctimonious sermons about past mistreatment of African-Americans in general and Owens in particular, thereby presenting him more as a victim to be pitied rather than the glorious victor he was.

As it turned out, my fears were groundless and, as a one-time track and field competitor myself, I found the overall experience to be highly enjoyable.

That said, and despite my high rating, I think some judicious editing could have made the film even better. Director Stephen Hopkins tries to tell the narrative in the form of two separate stories that run parallel: one concerns the relentless drive for excellence by a very gifted athlete despite the prejudice and discrimination that surrounds him while the second focuses on the nefarious politics (both American and German) that led to the uneasy climate of the 1936 Olympic Games. They do not mesh easily. When the action is on the track, the scenes are a joy to behold, like poetry in motion, showing the beauty and grace of athletics. But when it reverts to the stuffed-shirted political arena of U.S. Olympic Association president Avery Brundage, German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, and German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, the film lapses into speculative talky scenes that generally go on and on to nowhere, not only distracting from the Owens story but unnecessarily padding the film's run time.

On the plus side, we have Canadian born Stephen James who does an admirable job in portraying Jesse Owens, thankfully keeping the emoting down to tolerable levels. He presents Jesse as a polite, respectful, family man with just enough bravado to appreciate his own God-given talents, my only qualm being that he does not smile enough which was one of Owens' most endearing traits. James' performances on the track (and in the broad jump), while hard to emulate the original, are convincing enough. Particularly good are the scenes showing him break or tie four world records at the Big Ten Conference Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on May 25th, 1935.

Jason Sudeikis, though, is not nearly as convincing as coach Larry Snyder. He may have been a difficult taskmaster, but he comes off as too boorish and too bombastic to be worthy of Owens' unwavering respect; consequently, their relationship is a bit of a stretch.

Another quibble is with the lackadaisical approach to small details which are, from a track afficionado's perspective, jarring speedbumps in what is otherwise a relatively smooth ride. For instance, in the scene where he and jumper Lutz Long get together after they had just finished competing, it is unlikely that they would talk politics. Equally off-putting was the repeated reference to Charlie Paddock's victory in the 1924 Olympic 100 meters. Paddock won in 1920. Harold Abrahams of Great Britain won in 1924, as shown in "Chariots of Fire", a film surely the inspiration for this one. And there never were - or are - 200 yard races. The correct distances are either 220 yards or 200 meters; in this case, 220 yards.

These annoyances aside, I cannot help but really like this movie. As a biopic, it is reasonably faithful to the general Jesse Owens narrative, the overall effect is stunning, the athletic sequences plentiful and exhilarating, and the settings evocative of the time period. If nothing else, "Race" serves to rekindle to memory a fading name which once inspired generations of young athletes to personal glory in running and jumping. All in all, a tribute memorable enough to make the DVD a nice keepsake.

It's the dream of Jesse Owens to be the best runner in the world. As the 1936 Olympics is set to take place in Germany, Owens faces adversity when discrimination at home and politics overseas begins to build. With the help of Ohio Coach Larry Snyder, Owens proves to himself and his family that nothing will stand in his way from pivoting to greatness. The film is directed by Stephen Hopkins and stars Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, and Jeremy Irons.

One of the great things we see in 'Race' is the dual narratives about the discrimination at home between whites and blacks; while overseas it's the Hitler regime readying to host the Olympics. The director, Stephen Hopkins, did an amazing job telling a story about the politics of race. Actor Stephan James who plays Jesse Owens was likable and you could sense the weight of politics on his shoulders when he is forced to make a decision to take part in the Olympics. Not taking its time to recognize how good of an athlete Owens is, much of the movie is centered on the Hitler Regime. You sense the animosity building as Germany prepares to host the games while holding hostility towards Jews and those of color participating in the event.

You can read more of my review here at: http://thecinemascore.com/2016/02/22/race-2016- review/

I really loved this movie! this true story was epic.

you are drawn into the action, you are watching the events unfold as if you were there.

This movie really touched my soul. It was very powerful! best sentence of the movie " Out there ain't no black or white-there's only fast and slow"

I highly recommend it! if you want to laugh, cry, learn, and have a good time! bring your kids to watch it, it's important to never forget this part of history, surrounded by racism and antisemitism.

This movie teaches us to believed in our dream and if we are focused, determined and dedicated we can make them reality. Jesse Owens was a hero and teach us a lot of life lesson's.

Jesse Owens (September 12, 1913 - March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games. Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lifetime as "perhaps the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history". He set three world records and tied another, all in less than an hour, at the 1935 Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan-a feat that has never been equaled and has been called "the greatest 45 minutes ever in sport". He achieved international fame at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, by winning four gold medals: 100 meters, long jump, 200 meters, and 4 × 100-meter relay. He was the most successful athlete at the Games and, as a black American man, was credited with "single-handedly crushing Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy". The Jesse Owens Award is USA Track and Field's highest accolade for the year's best track and field athlete. Owens was ranked by ESPN as the sixth greatest North American athlete of the 20th century and the highest-ranked in his sport.

This drama based on true events focusing on legendary black athlete Jesse Owens well played by Stephan James in a time of pre-war, racial bigotry , discrimination , and anti-Semitism, the humble African-American track-and-field athlete, and concerning his inspiring journey to overcome racism at home and abroad, culminating in his triumphant track-and-field performance at the 1936 Berlin Olympics under the tutelage of gruff Ohio State coach Larry Snyder nicely acted by Jason Sudeikis . The incredible true story of gold medal legend, Jesse Owens , his strong will and stubbornness thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where Jesse faces off against Adolf Hitler's vision of Aryan supremacy. There's also apperance of some historical characters , such as : Third Reich's Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels performed by Barnaby Metschurat , who intends to turn the Olympics into a showcase for Aryan superiority, through the lens of the young German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl finely interpreted by Carice van Houten and athlete Carl 'Luz' Long/David Kross with whom Owens had an enjoyable relationship . The picture displays a sensitive and rousing musical score by composer Rachel Portman. As well as colorful and evocative cinematography by Peter Levy. The flick was competently directed by Stephen Hopkins.

Based on actual events : On December 4, 1935, NAACP Secretary Walter Francis White wrote a letter to Owens . He was trying to dissuade Owens from taking part in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Nazi Germany, arguing that an African American should not promote a racist regime after what his race had suffered at the hands of white racists in his own country. In the months prior to the Games, a movement gained momentum in favor of a boycott. Yet he and others eventually took part after Avery Brundage, president of the American Olympic Committee branded them "un-American agitators". In 1936, Owens and his United States teammates sailed on the SS Manhattan and arrived in Germany to compete at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. According to fellow American sprinter James LuValle, who won the bronze in the 400 meters, Owens arrived at the new Olympic stadium to a throng of fans. Just before the competitions, founder of Adidas athletic shoe company Adi Dassler visited Owens in the Olympic village and persuaded Owens to wear Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik shoes; this was the first sponsorship for a male African American athlete. On August 3, Owens won the 100 m dash with a time of 10.3 seconds, defeating a teammate and a college friend Ralph Metcalfe by a tenth of a second and defeating Tinus Osendarp of the Netherlands by two tenths of a second. On August 4, he won the long jump with a leap of 8.06 metres . He initially credited this achievement to the technical advice that he received from Luz Long, the German competitor whom he defeated but later admitted that this was not true, as he and Long didn't meet until after the competition was over. On August 5, he won the 200 m sprint with a time of 20.7 seconds, defeating teammate Mack Robinson (the older brother of Jackie Robinson). On August 9, Owens won his fourth gold medal in the 4 × 100 m sprint relay when head coach Lawson Robertson replaced Jewish-American sprinters Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller with Owens and Ralph Metcalfe, who teamed with Frank Wykoff and Foy Draper to set a world record of 39.8 seconds in the event. Owens had initially protested the last-minute switch, but assistant coach Dean Cromwell said to him, "You'll do as you are told." Owens's record-breaking performance of four gold medals was not equaled until Carl Lewis won gold medals in the same events at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Owens had set the world record in the long jump with a leap of 8.13 m in 1935, the year before the Berlin Olympics, and this record stood for 25 years until it was broken in 1960 by countryman Ralph Boston. Coincidentally, Owens was a spectator at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome when Boston took the gold medal in the long jump. The long-jump victory is documented, along with many other 1936 events, in the 1938 film Olympia by Leni Riefenstahl. On August 1, 1936, Nazi Germany's leader Adolf Hitler shook hands with the German victors only and then left the stadium. International Olympic Committee president Henri de Baillet-Latour insisted that Hitler greet every medalist or none at all. Hitler opted for the latter and skipped all further medal presentations. Owens first competed on Day 2 , running in the first and second qualifying rounds for the 100 meters final; he equaled the Olympic and world record in the first race and broke them in the second race, but the new time was not recognized, because it was wind-assisted. Later the same day, Owens's African-American team-mate Cornelius Johnson won gold in the high jump final with a new Olympic record of 2.03 meters. Hitler did not publicly congratulate any of the medal winners this time; even so, the communist New York City newspaper the Daily Worker claimed Hitler received all the track winners except Johnson and left the stadium as a "deliberate snub" after watching Johnson's winning jump.

Review of Race (spoiler free)

**** (4 out of 5)

Cast: Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons* and Academy Award winner William Hurt**

Plot overview: Jesse Owens' quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler's vision of Aryan supremacy.

Over the last year Olympic based dramas have shined and this is no exception, the story follows the life of young wannabe Olympian Jesse 'J.C' Owens (James), a student from Cleveland, Ohio. The young man dreams of winning the Olympics and becoming the fastest man on Earth. In order to reach his dream he has to go through extensive amounts of training with coach and friend Larry Snyder (Sudeikis) in the best performance of his career.

Here are some points on why this is a must see drama:

Research: The research is well done if a little wrong but you can tell that the makers of this feature spent researching about what happened before and during the 1936 Olympics. The facts that are right is that Germany didn't appreciate African Americans in the Olympics and they especially didn't want one of them to win. The fact they got wrong I won't say because of spoilers you will have to watch it.

Acting: The acting is to a considerably high standard through almost the entirety of the film but near to the end falls a little flat. The stand out performance comes unexpectedly from Jason Sudeikis normally known for comedies like Horrible Bosses and We are the Millers, this is possibly I have said it before but I'm going to say it again the best performance of his career. The acting done by Stephan James is outstanding he definitely what kind of character he was playing and he didn't shy away from the character he portrays.

Sports movies have been on the rise for many years now and this movie shows that sports movies especially sport biographical dramas will continue to rise over the years. It is a delightful story that just lifts your heart.

Verdict: A delightfully enthralling and uplifting drama that just makes you to run and win. A truly winning spectacle that shines. 8/10 highly recommended.

*1991-Best Actor in a Leading Role, Reversal of Fortune (1990). **1986-Best Actor in a Leading Role, Kiss of the Spider Women (1985).

Race is a film that delivers solid acting and an inspirational story.

The story of Jessie Owens, {Stephan James} A natural born track runner who enters the 1936 Olympics where he is faced by Adolf Hitler's vision of white supremacy in Nazi, Germany.

The film does a solid job portraying the life of Jessie Owens and the direction by Stephen Hawks is also solid, The rest of the cast including Jeremy Irons and William Hurt also do a good job, The film's racial themes and message is delivered in a inspiring way.

Race is a well made film that excels by Stephan James's performance and it's message. 7/10

Maybe not as prominently remembered as he once was, Jesse Owens, was one of those men in history who was able to overcome the many barriers in his life to exemplify greatness. Not only as an athlete, but as a human being.

"RACE" is the story of Jesse Owens(Stephan James) from 1933 through 1936. James Cleveland Owens was born in Alabama and at age 9 moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio. It was in Cleveland where one of his teachers, unable to understand his thick southern accent, thought he was saying his name was Jesse when in fact he had been saying JC. This mistake led to JC being known as Jesse for the rest of his life.

A prominent high school track athlete, Jesse entered The Ohio State University in 1933 and began his NCAA track career under the tutelage of legendary track coach Larry Snyder(Jason Sudeikis). Snyder recognized greatness in Jesse the first time he watched him run and let Jesse know that he would be able to compete and win in the 1936 Olympic Games.

The movie moves from Jesse's life and troubles to Nazi Germany and back again. The story of The Amateur Athletic Union(AAU) and the American Olympic Committee(AOC), struggling with the decision to attend or boycott the games, runs parallel to Jesse's trials, tribulations and his ultimate success.

When the AAU and AOC make the decision to attend the games, the NAACP asks Jesse to refuse to enter. Due to the atrocities being committed against the Jewish population in Germany and the open hatred the Nazis expressed toward other races as well, the NAACP felt Jesse's refusal to attend the games would make a strong statement. The decision to attend the games by Owens turned out to be a much more powerful statement than could ever have been imagined. As the scene unfolded and the representative of the NAACP told Jesse what a strong statement his boycott would make, I was hoping the writer's would have had Jesse respond by saying, "It will be much more meaningful for me to attend the games and come home with the Gold" – or something along that line.

Jesse Owens, to me, has always been one of the larger than life individuals that only come along every so often. The film not only celebrates Jesse Owens' accomplishments, it also emphasizes the wrongs to which people of color had to endure in the United States. Even at a dinner held in Mr. Owens' honor, Jesse and his wife were asked to enter the hotel through the service entrance. The filmmaker's parallel stories of Jesse and Nazi Germany, as they prepare for the games, brings to the forefront the hypocrisy of our American Ideals and what was really happening to many of our citizens. "RACE" is a title that fits well because it not only speaks to Jesse's prominence on the track, but to the relationship between the citizens of this planet.

The story is a worthwhile one. Historical figures like Jesse Owens need to be kept in our memory. However, as great as Jesse Owens was, this was not a great film. At 134 minutes, I felt it was a tad too long. I also felt it dragged somewhat at various times. Although the parallel story of what was happening in Europe at this time in our history is important, I feel to much time was spent on that story and not enough on Mr. Owens.

I recommend seeing this film although I feel the matinée price would be the best option.