80
Murderball isn't a documentary played in the key of those Olympics stories that inspire you with sugary drivel, although it is ultimately inspiring.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
100
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
This is a lively, life-affirming documentary no viewer is likely to forget.
70
The film is filled with humor, compassion and cajones, and never once glosses over the fact that these guys are prickly personalities who can sometimes act like jerks. There are also a few tears, but remarkably, not a single one is shed in pity.
80
Los Angeles Times by Kevin Crust
A thoughtful and provocative look at a previously little-seen world.
100
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
The filmmaking is as strong as the subject matter, with an elegant structure.
70
What keeps Murderball from devolving into redemptive drivel is its insistence on treating the players it profiles as jocks first and disabled men second.
80
A blast and a half -- as entertaining as mainstream American docus get.
90
A great sports drama first and a heart-wrenching triumph-over-adversity weepie almost never.
80
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
The evenness of its emotional pitch almost incidentally helps the film become an unusually deep exploration of sports, machismo and the competitive spirit.
80
The A.V. Club by Tasha Robinson
Along the way, Murderball surpasses the typical who-will-win sports-film dynamic and becomes a fascinating and personal exploration of quadriplegia.