Good start, but then it gets ruined

Good concept, poorly executed.

Charming and brutal

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Nine for IX: Venus Vs. (2013) *** (out of 4) Documentary following the fight for women to gain the same amount of money as the men did in professional tennis. This film follows the career of Venus Williams who would wind up winning five Wimbledon titles but only two of them had her gaining the same amount of money as the men champion. This first entry in ESPN's NINE FOR IX series is obviously an attempt to capture the same magic as 30 FOR 30, although the stories here are going to center on women. I guess there's not too many people better fit for the first episode than Venus Williams and this documentary does a pretty good job at showing what happened to her throughout her career from her being raised in the ghetto to finally hitting the professional courts only to face various hardships. The documentary is meant to be about the difference in pay between the men and the women but I must admit that I was rather shocked to see that the difference was just $80,000 when Venus won her first title. I don't know why but I always expected that number to be a lot higher. The documentary is more about Venus and her race rather than her being a woman in a field where the men made more. The film wants to shine the spotlight on the money issue but it actually takes a back seat to Venus. Various tennis experts are interviewed about the subject including Williams, her sister Serena, Maria Sharapova, Billy Jean King and John McEnroe. Fans of Venus or the sport will certainly be entertained but this does fall short of even a weaker episode in the 30 FOR 30 series.