Akeelah and the Bee
Akeelah and the Bee Image
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Metascore
72 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.2 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 67 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Angela Bassett, KeKe Palmer, Laurence Fishburne
  • Summary: An inspirational drama, Akeelah and the Bee is the story of Akeelah Anderson (Palmer), a precocious eleven-year old girl from south Los Angeles with a gift for words. Despite the objections of her mother (Bassett), Akeelah enters various spelling contest, for which she is tutored by the forthright Dr. Larabee (Fishburne), her principal Mr. Welch (Armstrong) and the proud residents of her neighborhood. Akeelah's aptitude earns her an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee and in turn united her neighborhood who witness the courage and inspiration of one amazing little girl. (Lionsgate)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    Keke Palmer, a young Chicago actress whose first role was as Queen Latifah's niece in "Barbershop 2," becomes an important young star with this movie. It puts her in Dakota Fanning and Thora Cross territory, and there's something about her poise and self-possession that hints she will grow up to be a considerable actress.
  2. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Jim Ridley
    80
    A sweet-natured, immensely likable family film.
  3. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Felix Vasques Jr.
    80
    A film like this has to be seen. It's beautiful, it's encouraging, and it really inspires its audience to commit to something positive.
  4. Empire
    Reviewed by: Anna Smith
    60
    There's charm in this simple underdog tale, but clunky plotting and characterisation mean it has 'telemovie' written all over it.

See all 30 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Trev29
    10
    All in all, this is an incredibly inspiring movie that is so heartfelt and intellectual at the same time. A very rare film that will make any age group fall in love with the characters.… Expand
  2. ClaudiaB.
    10
    Excellent movie that portrayed an African AMerican female in a positive manner. Kudos to the producers and the acting cast. KeKe Palmer, Angela Bassett, and Laurence Fishburne- you are a complete unit. The whole Kenwood High School viewed your movie and discussed various character traits that were associated with the movie. Our school is reflective of some of the same demographics associated with the movie- many students were inspired to learn new words.… Expand
  3. TyeN.
    8
    Although it has a few too many clichéd montages towards the end, and a couple of far fetched moments, the emotion is absolutely real. Keke Palmer is astounding and fierce as Akeelah, a very intelligent and lovable eleven-year-old who is unfortunately born in a poor neighborhood and attends a poor school. It rang especially true for me as I grew up in a similar situation. Even if you can't relate (and there are many relatable levels here), you should still enjoy 'Akeelah and the Bee' as a film that the whole family can watch and be inspired by.… Collapse
  4. MarcK.
    7
    Very sweet film. Sometimes it got a bit hokey though. I join others and applaud Keke Palmer's performance.

See all 27 User Reviews

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