Is 'Emancipation' must-see Apple TV+?

December 09, 2022

Emancipation, the new Will Smith movie about a slave's epic journey to freedom, sounds good enough to make you overlook the actor's slaptastic outburst at the Academy Awards ceremony earlier this year.

Smith has been making the rounds on a pathetic apology tour, trying to convince people not to snub Emancipation because of his bad behavior.

Maybe he should've skipped the cringe-worthy pitch and let the movie speak for itself. Our reviewer Scout Tafoya calls the film "quite a bit better than an Oscar-ready slavery drama made in today’s Hollywood has any right to be."

He also calls Emancipation, which arrived on Apple TV+ today, director Antoine Fuqua’s best film yet.

Read the full review to see if you should stream Emancipation this weekend.

-- Lewis Wallace, managing editor

P.S. Not an Apple TV+ subscriber? You're in luck. Apple just sweetened the free trial offer for its streaming service in Emancipation's honor. New and "qualified returning" subscribers can get two months free now.

Based on a true story about a slave’s quest for freedom during the Civil War, Apple TV+’s oddly positioned Oscar contender Emancipation pairs action with an unflinching look at slavery’s brutality. It stars Will Smith, whose bizarre post-Slap apology tour makes for strange bedfellows with Emancipation’s stark subject matter and the film’s action-oriented director.

After a multiyear argument, Apple and Ericsson agree to cross-license each other's patents on essential cellular technologies. And they’ll drop their lawsuits, too.

Just in time for the holidays, DJI released a tiny, more affordable version of its DJI Mini 3 Pro drone. Just subtract the word “Pro” from the name.

'Tis the season to save on crucial Microsoft software. Just shop the Christmas Sale at software activation keys provider CDKeylord.com to save on Word, Office and more. Even better, Cult of Mac readers can rack up extra savings on Windows 10 and other Microsoft software.

It’s a car made of jelly! JellyCar Worlds challenges players to drive a squishy vehicle through a variety of convoluted levels. The game, which hit Apple Arcade on Friday, marks the return of a classic game from the original creator. See the trailer!

Google tweaks the desktop version of Chrome so that background tabs take up less memory. The widely used browser also will consume less power when a laptop’s battery is getting low.

Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, being able to understand the local language can make your trips more enjoyable. Carry a bit of fluency in your pocket with an award-winning pair of Mymanu Clik S smart translation earbuds.

Some setups are no-nonsense, just the facts, ma’am — strictly utilitarian. Others are fanciful and full of toys. Today’s featured setup leans toward the latter, with its burgeoning population of Transformer figures crowding the shelf above the display and even related wall art.

“Get your bling on with the Casetify Glitter Apple Watch Band!” says Casetify in its listing for the distinctive band. And at this time of year, the festive bands — available in four fun colors — seem especially merry.

On December 9, 2011, Apple opened its fifth Manhattan retail store, located in New York City's historic (and ultra-busy) transportation hub.

Tweet o' the day

One more thing ...

"I'm a very big believer in equal opportunity as opposed to equal outcome. I don't believe in equal outcome because unfortunately life's not like that. It would be a pretty boring place if it was.

But I really believe in equal opportunity. Equal opportunity to me more than anything means a great education. Maybe even more important than a great family life, but I don't know how to do that. Nobody knows how to do that. But it pains me because we do know how to provide a great education. We really do. We could make sure that every young child in this country got a great education. We fall far short of that." — Steve Jobs, 1995, on the importance of education

Reply

or to participate.