Murderball

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

The filmmaking is as strong as the subject matter, with an elegant structure.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

This is a lively, life-affirming documentary no viewer is likely to forget.

USA Today Claudia Puig

Murderball brilliantly captures the intensity of the little-known athletic competition, offering more intimacy and drama than most Hollywood sports movies.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

It's one of the most powerful films of the year.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

This is one of those rare docs, like "Hoop Dreams," where life provides a better ending than the filmmakers could have hoped for. Also like "Hoop Dreams," it's not really a sports film; it's a film that uses sport as a way to see into lives, hopes and fears.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Murderball is a paradox: a movie about quadriplegics that insists we look beyond their disability.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

If you're the type who doesn't go to art-house films , Murderball should be your exception. It's hard to imagine anyone could walk away from this movie disappointed.

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

It's the best sports documentary since "Hoop Dreams," a great piece of work."

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Bracingly honest and ceaselessly compelling documentary.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

It's as full and rich a portrait of the lives of athletes as we've seen since "Hoop Dreams."

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

Exhilarating.

Dallas Observer Robert Wilonsky

One of the most remarkable things about Murderball, which is easily among the year's best movies, is how little of its time is filled with the playing of the game.

LA Weekly Scott Foundas

A great sports drama first and a heart-wrenching triumph-over-adversity weepie almost never.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

Co-directors Rubin and Shapiro deliver the rare documentary that totally entertains, informs, and inspires.

Chicago Tribune Robert K. Elder

Think "Mad Max" in wheelchairs.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

Murderball invokes fascination toward its protagonists, because it views them with the same confidence and acceptance they view themselves.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

When it comes to sports movies, there's nothing like the real thing, and there's never been anything quite as real as the documentary Murderball.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Fast-moving, psychologically savvy.

Premiere Peter Debruge

Murderball asks you to put all your assumptions about quadriplegics aside and start over.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

It's original, outrageous and murderous fun.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson

Along the way, Murderball surpasses the typical who-will-win sports-film dynamic and becomes a fascinating and personal exploration of quadriplegia.

Film Threat Jeremy Mathews

Murderball isn't a documentary played in the key of those Olympics stories that inspire you with sugary drivel, although it is ultimately inspiring.

Variety Robert Koehler

A blast and a half -- as entertaining as mainstream American docus get.

The New York Times 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.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Crust

A thoughtful and provocative look at a previously little-seen world.

Empire Steve O'Hagan

A leftfield sports documentary that's as insightful and thought-provoking as it is fast and furious.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

The emotional resonance that results from the focus on several unique individuals is what makes this a worthwhile viewing experience.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

Reportedly, after seeing the film, rapper Eminen is anxious to play a wheelchair athlete in a coming movie.

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

Has a lot of integrity, both in visual and conceptual terms, and seamlessly blends entertainment and education.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

There are worlds within the startling world of Murderball.

TV Guide Ken Fox

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.

Village Voice Mark Holcomb

What keeps Murderball from devolving into redemptive drivel is its insistence on treating the players it profiles as jocks first and disabled men second.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White

As a sports documentary, Murderball is tame and uninvolving. It does however, offer a hard-edged and unsentimental portrait of strong-willed people.