Filmology Rating: 2.25 out of 4

Concussion is based on the true story of the doctor named Dr. Bennet Omalu (played by Will Smith) who discovered CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). This is caused by brain trauma and concussions which are very common in ex or even current football players. This condition was not addressed and recognized by the NFL for a long time and was just pushed under the rug like nothing was happening. There were things that I liked about this movie and also some things that I thought felt were weak. To start off with, Will Smith is the best that he has been in a long time. I think that it is his best role acting wise since the movie Seven Pounds. He was very emotional and you felt this man’s pain as the NFL ruined his life for him doing the right thing and confronting them on CTE. You really grow connected to him and his family through this hardship. Another thing I really like was the message behind it. Yes this movie was about CTE and the NFL, but the message remained the same; If you are confronted with a hard issue that will make your life a lot more difficult but you know it’s the right thing to do, will you do it? That is a question that many people can relate to and ponder for their own lives. Now some things that I thought could have been better is that this movie lacked energy. I'm not really sure how to explain it other than I think this movie pulled some punches. It at times felt like it was trying to be a thriller but it failed at that and turned out dull. This movie isn’t angry enough to send a strong message and it also isn’t uplifting enough to be a message movie. So in sports terms, this movie was a fumble. Not saying this movie was necessarily bad, but It could have been so much more.

Rating: Rent It 

-Nick