The latest film from King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green puts the spotlight on a pivotal era of reggae artist Bob Marley but struggles to reach the same heights and power of his life.

Now, it’s worth noting that Bob Marley: One Love isn’t this sweeping epic that covers Marley’s entire life and career like other biopics. Rather, it puts special focus on the inner turmoil Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) faces after he’s nearly assassinated alongside his bandmates and wife Rita (Lashana Lynch). That turmoil not only spurs him to create his most iconic album of all-time, Exodus, but also forces him to reflect on the power of his voice – which could help ignite peace in his home-country of Jamaica. While it might not chronicle every corner of Marley in ways some fans would want, the film does benefit from a smaller scoped approach.

Instead of Marley’s role in the political war that plagued Jamaica in the late 70s being reduced to a singular chapter in a larger story, it gets to be that larger story. With this more focused story, the impact and meaning of this narrative get to flourish more and take centerstage – something Green does quite well. Despite Marley not being in Jamaica during most of the film, the turmoil and violence happening there always remains present. It’s something that’s always on his mind and a key motivator in him creating Exodus. The near-death experience he suffers towards the start of film also stays consistently in his thoughts and gives him a connective and engaging arc within this story. Thus, audiences will be able to feel and latch onto Marley’s personal plight and quest for peace.

Not to mention, this part of Marley’s life gives Ben-Adir greater emotional threads to work with as he truly immerses himself into the artist’s distinct persona. Even if you’ve seen Ben-Adir in other roles, he becomes unrecognizable while playing Marley. Maybe it’s the way he comes off so in-thought yet freeing in music/stage scenes. Or the way he’s able to achieve Marley’s magnified presence in life. But Ben-Adir delivers a great performance that captures Marley well and brings it to the big screen.

Sadly though, despite One Love taking a more focused approach to Marley’s story, it can’t keep itself from feeling like a basic, by the numbers biopic. It flows through Marley’s life during this time in a straightforward manner – not utilizing his music or style in any way to enhance the storytelling. Frankly, it’s disappointing how his music doesn’t even feel like a prevalent part of this experience – especially given the continual power and influence it has today. Plus, the scenes of Marley in the studio or on-stage lack elements to draw viewers into these big moments. Even with it notably putting a specific spotlight on this stretch of Marley’s life, it can’t maintain its focus and unnecessarily tries to incorporate other aspects that don’t tie into this story at all. There are these flashbacks to Marley’s childhood that don’t add much to the story and are so pointless that they could’ve been cut out entirely.

What’s more disappointing though is how One Love features a lot of undercooked storylines that don’t effectively utilize interesting elements. Although Marley’s promiscuous behavior is hinted at, this conflict isn’t confronted in a meaningful way. The film fails to instill any real emotion in Marley’s sudden cancer diagnosis because it comes at a point when it’s trying to rush towards the end. Although Lynch has undeniable talent, she’s not given much to work with and is forced to deliver a solid but forgettable performance. Worst of all, although the film builds up the importance of Marley returning to Jamaica to perform a peace concert, it skips over the experience entirely. It’s such an underwhelming aspect of the film and genuinely leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Personally, the worst thing you can says about a music biopic is that you could get a richer experience in a Behind the Music doc. And unfortunately, that’s the case with One Love because it doesn’t give viewers broader takeaways that make them connect deeper with Marley, his music, or his impact on the world.

One Love might have some elements that make Marley’s story heading to the big screen worthwhile, but it’s not enough for it to feel like anything more than an underwhelming, bare-bones biopic that doesn’t take advantage of the power, music, and personality of its subject.

Watch the Trailer Here: