100
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
The genius of the movie is the way is sidesteps all of the obvious cliches of the underlying story and makes itself fresh, observant, tough and genuinely moving.
Whale Rider
Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
- New Zealand,
- Germany
- 2003
- · 101m
Director
Niki Caro
Cast
Keisha Castle-Hughes,
Rawiri Paratene,
Vicky Haughton,
Cliff Curtis,
Grant Roa,
Mana Taumaunu
Genre
Drama,
Family
Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.
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What are critics saying?
100
Washington Post by Ann Hornaday
One of the best performances -- and movies -- of the year so far.
90
Washington Post by Desson Thomson
Evokes its spirituality with deft strokes and wonderful humor.
90
Chicago Reader by Fred Camper
Utterly fresh and beguiling.
90
Wall Street Journal by Joe Morgenstern
Seduces us with its leisurely pace and felicitous details into believing that something miraculous is afoot in a mundane rural community.
90
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
A substantial film of unexpected emotional force. And when at a certain point it seems to slip the bonds of this world and take a leap of faith into an almost mythological dimension, it breathlessly takes us along for that memorable ride.
89
Austin Chronicle by Marc Savlov
Castle-Hughes and Paratene are nothing short of remarkable in their roles.
88
Chicago Tribune by Mark Caro
One may gripe that the tale at times seems familiar, yet that familiarity is also part of the movie's power: Here's a story from halfway around the world that somehow connects with the hearts of viewers of almost any culture.
88
Philadelphia Inquirer by Carrie Rickey
The rhythms of Whale Rider are hypnotic as the ebb tide, haunting as the song of the humpback sea mammal, bracing as the ocean spray. It's a movie that rewards the patient viewer.
88
USA Today by Claudia Puig
Caro gives the fablesque story -- based on a 1,000-year-old Maori legend -- both a contemporary and timeless quality, anchored by newcomer Castle-Hughes' powerful and haunting performance.
80
The New York Times by A.O. Scott
Wickedly absorbing.
80
Dallas Observer by Gregory Weinkauf
Once in a while a film comes along that is as sound, smart, sweet and significant as can be, and Whale Rider is such a film.
75
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
An inviting international audience-pleaser.
75
Miami Herald by Connie Ogle
There is magic here, enough to make Whale Rider worthy of the audience-choice awards it has earned at film festivals worldwide.
70
The A.V. Club by Keith Phipps
Though there's a formula at the film's core, Whale Rider still has the good taste to make that formula go down easy.
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