Review of Gender Wars (2015) by Lane Z — 02 Feb 2018

While I'm currently on my kick of seeing films based in recent history, Battle of the Sexes does a fine job of acknowledging the similarities between past and present social issues, some of which still stick around to this very day. Steve Carell and Emma Stone give us jovial performances grounded in both of their real-life counterparts. For a quick romp through the tennis world in the 1970's, Battle of the Sexes comes off as informative, enlightening, and thought provoking with themes still important 40 years later.

The entire Billie Jean King/Bobby Riggs stunt was well before my time, but learning about it through this kind of media and having it portrayed by some of the best actors in the business added to my curiosity. The makeup was spot on for both actors. The acting for both seemed like they were having just as much fun as their characters during the time.

However, the major issues they were fighting for or against back in the 70's like gender equality on the court and in the pocketbook still haven't been resolved today. It makes you really think about the powers driving the sport behind the scenes and just how much influence they've had throughout it all. I would say one of the only disappointing aspects of the film was its inability to fully convert itself into a drama with such serious topics. It was certainly more of a comedy.

Battle of the Sexes is a fun time travel trip back into the 70's for those who have any interest in the sport and some of the key figures who helped shape it's run through the following years. While I understood the weight of the imiplications of King vs Riggs, I don't think the movie quite hit the climax of helping the audience understand just how important this was because the film was a bit too comedic instead of serious, but it sure did make for a fun watch.