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Whale Rider
Newmarket Film Group

Whale Rider reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 79 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
6.4 out of 10
based on 31 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 149 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for brief language and a momentary drug reference

Starring Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis, Grant Roa, Mana Taumaunu, Rachel House, and Taungaroa Emile

A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill her destiny. (South Pacific Pictures)


GENRE(S): Drama  
WRITTEN BY: Niki Caro
Witi Ihimaera (novel The Whale Rider)
 
DIRECTED BY: Niki Caro  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: October 28, 2003 
Video: October 28, 2003 
Theatrical: June 6, 2003 
RUNNING TIME: 105 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: New Zealand / Germany 

AGF People's Choice Award, 2002 Toronto International Film Festival; World Cinema Audience Award, 2003 Sundance Film Festival; Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature (tie), 2003 San Francisco International Film Festival

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
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.
Read Full Review
100
Washington Post Ann Hornaday
One of the best performances -- and movies -- of the year so far.
Read Full Review
90
Chicago Reader Fred Camper
Utterly fresh and beguiling.
Read Full Review
90
Washington Post Desson Thomson
Evokes its spirituality with deft strokes and wonderful humor.
Read Full Review
90
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.
Read Full Review
90
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.
89
Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov
Castle-Hughes and Paratene are nothing short of remarkable in their roles.
Read Full Review
88
Rolling Stone Peter Travers
A film of female empowerment that resonates deeply.
Read Full Review
88
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.
Read Full Review
88
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.
Read Full Review
88
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.
Read Full Review
88
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.
Read Full Review
83
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.
Read Full Review
80
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
Read Full Review
80
The Hollywood Reporter Sheri Linden
The film boasts a terrific newcomer in the lead role, exquisite widescreen photography and a powerful sense of place.
Read Full Review
80
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.
Read Full Review
80
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.
Read Full Review
80
The New York Times A.O. Scott
Wickedly absorbing.
Read Full Review
80
Variety Dennis Harvey
Combines straightforward coming-of-age narrative with Maori mysticism to most engaging effect.
Read Full Review
80
Newsweek David Ansen
While Whale Rider is a doozy of a female-empowerment fantasy, it’s mercifully free of any feminist smugness.
Read Full Review
75
New York Post Lou Lumenick
An excellent way to teach children that movies don't begin and end with Hollywood blockbusters.
Read Full Review
75
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.
Read Full Review
75
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.
Read Full Review
75
Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
An inviting international audience-pleaser.
Read Full Review
75
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.
Read Full Review
75
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.
Read Full Review
75
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.
Read Full Review
70
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.
Read Full Review
50
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.
Read Full Review
50
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.
Read Full Review
50
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.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 6.4 (out of 10) based on 149 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Tuahine P. gave it a0:
I really didn't like the movie because originally it was about a boy not a girl and if you take a good look at the movie its kind of a disgrace to maori kind.

retroboy gave it a0:
This was the the worst6 movie ever i hate it it sucked to the people who liked it i say get a life! very predictable and slow + the ending sucked i hat this boring crap movie a i hope whale rider 2 crashes and bern's THIS MOVIE WAS CRAP.

Chris H. gave it an8:
This movie gets top marks for purpose. If you know nothing of the legacy of colonialism upon indigenous cultures around the world then you would be smart to pick up a book or two and start reading. If you are not up for that then simply watch Whale Rider for its beautiful story of personal determination and community and love. The gorgeous cinematography will help you along.

Isaac I. gave it a10:
A very moving and spiritual film, I feel sorry for the people who gave it a 0 or a 2, they are probably used to the killing and shooting in movies and not entitled to understand a movie which deserves a standing ovation.

Rita P. gave it a0:
I suck, I hate myself for giving it a good mark and if I offended all the people that gave it a low score I?m sorry I was under the influence of alcohol this film sucks I am a loser and my mum hates me

Louise gave it a10:
This movies is the best! I watched it in my english class and my whole class bawled their eyes out. Everyone with unkind comments - if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
The people who don't rate this movie well don't know who to understand culture and people. They are used to over produced violent crap, not real life. This movie is moving.

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