Whale Rider

Chicago Sun-Times 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.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

One of the best performances -- and movies -- of the year so far.

Chicago Reader Fred Camper

Utterly fresh and beguiling.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

Evokes its spirituality with deft strokes and wonderful humor.

Los Angeles Times 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.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

Seduces us with its leisurely pace and felicitous details into believing that something miraculous is afoot in a mundane rural community.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Castle-Hughes and Paratene are nothing short of remarkable in their roles.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

A film of female empowerment that resonates deeply.

Philadelphia Inquirer 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.

USA Today 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.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

You can say nothing of Castle-Hughes except that she's already a movie star: The camera loves her and we do, too.

Chicago Tribune 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.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Paula Nechak

The real find in this lovely family film is Castle-Hughes, who makes Pai's confusion, emotional fragility and devotion palpable.

TV Guide Ken Fox

what makes Caro's film a future classic is What so many movies geared toward younger audiences lack: a cool and very courageous 'tween heroine whom boys and girls of all ages can admire

The Hollywood Reporter Sheri Linden

The film boasts a terrific newcomer in the lead role, exquisite widescreen photography and a powerful sense of place.

LA Weekly Ernest Hardy

Writer-director Niki Caro, who adapted the screenplay from the novel, has crafted a script replete with both crowd-pleasing touches and subtle but powerful insights into all the characters.

Dallas Observer 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.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Wickedly absorbing.

Variety Dennis Harvey

Combines straightforward coming-of-age narrative with Maori mysticism to most engaging effect.

Newsweek David Ansen

While Whale Rider is a doozy of a female-empowerment fantasy, it’s mercifully free of any feminist smugness.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

An excellent way to teach children that movies don't begin and end with Hollywood blockbusters.

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

There is magic here, enough to make Whale Rider worthy of the audience-choice awards it has earned at film festivals worldwide.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Like last year's Inuit sensation ''The Fast Runner,'' the Maori drama Whale Rider is based on a folk myth, and it's told with an elemental timelessness that feels like a swan dive into prehistory.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

An inviting international audience-pleaser.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Story itself is richly rewarding and uplifting -– the coming-of-age tale of a girl who must defy the odds to achieve her goals. There's plenty of humor to keep the overall tone light.

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

Pai is resourceful and in harmony with the natural world in a way that will charm and enthrall young viewers.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

The Canadian film "Atanarjuat" travelled back to the past to meet an ancient legend on its own ground and treated the tale realistically. Whale Rider whisks its legend up into the present, and then adds a touch of lyricism.

The Onion (A.V. Club) 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.

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

Whale Rider is one long, sensitive downer capped by an uplifting finale. A martyr fantasy that turns victorious -- it's a surefire recipe for arthouse crowd-pleasing.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

By the end, a sense settles in that Whale Rider could have accomplished as much -- and been considerably more powerful -- as a 25- minute short.

Village Voice Michael Atkinson

Like the film, Pai's character is muddily conceived and ill-focused, but the coltish, tremulously delicate Castle-Hughes is a hypnotic camera subject.