You can feel yourself getting dumber with each passing minute of "42," the hagiographic new biopic on Jackie Robinson, with Chadwick Boseman as the pioneering infielder and Harrison Ford as ahead-of-his-time Dodgers GM Branch Rickey. (If nothing else, the movie draws a sharp contrast between the Dodgers' proud history and the ignominious past of several other MLB franchises.) Every conflict in the movie is pure black and white; the filmmakers believe that even a hint of nuance or shading would be too taxing for the intended audience. This may please those who come to hero worship (Robinson's widow has given "42" her seal of approval), but it renders the film dramatically inert.
