Whale Rider

[filmcritic]

I saw a sneak preview of this film in Dallas and it was wonderful. It's playing right now in different cities. Roger Ebert encouraged you to see it and now I am.

[Ghostboy]

And I am too.

[xerxes]

for the most part i thought it was pretty good, had some problems with the overuse of slow-motion near the end. but the little girl who plays the lead was very good. and i would also recommend seeing it.

[Pwaybloe]

I went to go see this last night, not really knowing what to expect.  

It was much more of a spiritual movie than anything else.  Kind of like a modern religious miracle story.  I kept on thinking of the scene in "La Dolce Vita" (without satire).  

Like I said, I really enjoyed the spiritual side of the movie, but maybe that was one of its faults.  It concentrated more on the "finding the one" than dedicating more screen time to the characters (who were outstanding).

Nonetheless, that was it's only fault.  It was a great family movie, and completed with a modern moral story.

[filmcritic]

Boy, it absolutely is and we don't see too many movies like this. Now, this is an independent film and what's really interesting is how this is so much better than most family films that are playing nationwide. This is a thousand times better than "Daddy Day Care", "Lizzie Maguire Movie" and "Hulk" combined. Those are movies that families will go to instead of going to a treasure like "Whale Rider". Why??? Maybe we'll never understand why many audiences want to see bad or mediocre movies instead of great ones.

[pete]

this film got really sad really really fast.  the actors were so good and the characters were so good.  The story is pretty familiar sounding but the characters are so multidimensional that the plot development doesn't seemed forced at all.  still, parts of it reminds me of Disney's new animated Tarzan and the ending wrapped up too nicely.
I enjoyed it thoroughly when I saw it but I don't think I'll see it again.

[ben]

I thought the movie was very good, and it was VERY EXTREMELY spiritual. I'm not usually a fan of these type of movies, but I did enjoy the film, especially the end sequence after her speech.

on a different note, did anybody else here notice that the girl had a striking resemblance to Brandon Boyd of Incubus? And her dad looked like Scott Stapp from Creed? just a thought.

btw, the girls acting was awesome, and I see her getting very big in the future. she was awesome.

[Gold Trumpet]

Excellent movie. This is a mature movie that brought up many known situations shown in poorer films, but never catered to them. One example is the story of the girl and her grandfather. It never became a good and bad situation, but a story looked upon in terms of explaining the culture behind it. Her struggle to find acceptance from him can be spoken similiar terms of any other child searching for the love of a parent. The heart and sincerity of the film transformed any cliche into an understanding for the culture that tip toed on spirituality at the end.

Of the physical story, the movie kept its interest with good pacing and never losing interest. Also, the lead girl was perfectly cast. Her worth was shown in scenes when she needed to be at her most heartbreaking and carried by not just sobbing, but showing through her eyes at time a sense of lost and bewilderment and continually searching for that acceptance. This is movie is definitely a treat. I can't wait to see it again.

~rougerum

[Ghostboy]

Hurrah!

[filmcritic]

I've never heard of anyone who didn't think it was good. And it is sentimental and maybe cheesy, but that is the right tone for the movie. I need to stop quoting other critics.

[Lucinda Bryte]

Wow you guys. I was going to make a post on this, but being the quick witted person that I am, I did a search and found this topic!

Anyway I need to see this. I don't get to the theaters much. I'm more of a reclusive 'rents movies from Blockbuster' type person.

Now I think I will see it.

[©brad]

ahh, what a magnificent film!! just caught it last night. totally agree w/ everything the trumpet of gold has said. it was such a slap in the face for me, for this is the kinda stuff i've been trying to write- a movie about teenagers that isn't juvenile, that doesn't succumb to the slapstick gross out humor a la american pie, that gets u through real, genuine sentimentality. and yes the remarkable thing about it, as discussed earlier, is that it avoids the clichés a storyline such as this so openly invites. it still feels fresh and alive. that's the key thing im trying to do myself, and this movie makes me want to write, crazy-like.

[MacGuffin]

The acclaimed Whale Rider comes October 28th, billed as a special edition, complete with an anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, plus extras including a filmmaker's audio commentary; featurette, deleted scenes, trailer and a "Soundtrack Showcase." Retail is $26.95.

[Lucinda Bryte]

The acclaimed Whale Rider comes October 28th, billed as a special edition, complete with an anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, plus extras including a filmmaker's audio commentary; featurette, deleted scenes, trailer and a "Soundtrack Showcase." Retail is $26.95.

Twenty-six dollars and ninety-five cents seems like a lot for a DVD.

That is all.

[filmcritic]

Best Buy is cheaper!