Rating: 
Summary: Whale of a Tale
Review: We are told at the outset of the story that a young girl's ancestors came to her land on the back of a whale, and that all the chiefs of her people are therefore descendants of that first early whale rider. Problem is, though, that the chief has to be a male, and this young lady is not, much to the grave disappointment of her paternal grandfather. Over time, the older man learns to love his granddaughter, but her femalehood is a bitter reminder of the endangered nature of their clan. He refuses to consider the girl as a possible chief in her own right, and begins to train all the boys nearby in the old traditions and rituals, looking for the next chief and protector of the the people. The young girl, however, is not to be outdone, and thereby hangs our Whale of a Tale."Whale Rider" is a great entrant into the annals of the "when old folks have to learn a lesson from young folks" genre. The cast was unfamiliar to me, but every member gives a sterling performance and is utterly believable, whether as the young girl, the curmudgeonly grandfather, the more liberal-minded grandmother, or the goof-off uncle. The culture of these indigenous people is treated with reverence and respect, and the scenery Down Under is absolutely fabulous. The screenwriters do a creditable job, as well, in demonstrating that the grandfather's reaction to the girl is complicated: he has long ago learned to love her, but the concerns of his people and the lack of a male chief to take his place after him are causing him to reject her on many levels. Though we almost cry for her many times as the story goes on, we always know at the outset of such films that a happy ending will be pulled out somehow, and we are not disappointed in the end. "Whale Rider" is a great bildungsroman piece and I heartily recommend it to all takers.
Rating:
Summary: i'd give it 10 stars
Review: Whale Rider is my all-time favorite movie. i love it! and i dont know who wouldn't. its everything everyone has already mentioned (touching, "tear-jerker", a MUST-see, overall success!)..and all the actors are perfect fits for the parts! Keisha is so gifted and i look forward to seeing her in future films. so what are you waiting for? if you're reading this and haven't yet seen or own the dvd...you're in for a wonderful treat if you decide to stop missing out!
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Movies EVER
Review: Please let everyone in your family see this beautiful movie. The rating is mis-leading. It should be rated "G" but for the use of one word. I was so emotional at the scene where her grandfather was honored, I could barely breathe. Deserving of every honor that exists!
Rating:
Summary: thoughtful tearjerker
Review: The first time in a longtime that i can remember the audience clapping after a movie. nice. It is a good tearjerker. Thoughtful with a good plot and character development underneath the extraordinary natural scenery of New Zealand. It has two people's stories intertwined, the older Maori chief and his grandaughter. Simply it is how the two of them grow up and challenge the male-only tradition of chiefs. Talent and ability don't know genetic boundaries as in a hereditarial chiefship. Nor does it know gender boundaries, these are imposed on top of ability, motivation, and costs societies that depreciate women half of the available talent(at least, i bet more). but as long as everything is ok, throwing away women's contributions seems a small price to pay for male dominance. But the story is about a culture in decline and facing extinction, the Maori's can not afford to throw away talent and ability. And that is the plot. Times change, so do the people if they wish to survive. But holding onto the past can help if the past greatness is re-interpreted anew for each growing up generation. And this is the big picture of the movie, this re-interpretation. Or as the movie puts it, the prophetic. It's a good movie, bring a handkerchief and stop for coffee afterwards and discuss the meaning of your life, before the moment pass and the real world pushes ideas out of your head and substitutes the common boring everyday world-affairs.
Rating: 
Summary: DVD With Basic Features But Beautiful Film
Review: A rural Maori village on the edge of the sea lacks a chief and faces a contemporary world that challenges the ways of old. Pai is the twelve-year old daughter of a line of chiefs descending from the ancient legend known has the whale rider. Her grandfather is the village elder who believes the chosen one will come and lead the people. Pai is a remarkable young girl who loves her grandfather and lives to please him and her people. Pai's grandfather is stubborn however and shuns her, believing that only a male can lead the people he schools the young males of the village in hopes of finding the one. Pai defies her grandfather and studies the ways of the ancient ones and embraces her culture thus fulfilling her destiny. Whale Rider, written and directed by Niki Caro, was filmed near New Zealand and is a splendid moving story of rejection, love and destiny. The film features a beautiful score and excellent performances by Keisha Castle-Hughes and Rawiri Paratene.
The DVD is presented in widescreen and features Dolby surround. The picture is clear and the sound is adequate for the film. There is a director commentary and a short making of as well. There are eight deleted scenes one in particular deals with a youth in trouble for breaking windows. I enjoyed the deleted material and the film works well without them. There are several TV spots and one theatrical trailer. Scene selection and menu access are easy and nothing of note. The commentary gives an insight into the creation of the film and reveals the whale scenes. Overall ordinary special features but a wonderful independent film.
Rating:
Summary: My heart stopped
Review: This film starts out unspeakably slow, but stick with it... i have never been so inspired and touched in my life than about this movie. Whale Rider explores race, religion, sexuality, culture, gender issues, family, loss, and love. But somehow the social issues are perfectly approached, not over-powering, and met with a understanding and realistic eye. The director, Niki Caro, has done such a remarkable job portraying the wide range of emotions capable of human beings. And I must say, the cinematographer of this film deserves a cookie. Most of all I came out of Whale Rider with hope, joy, and clarity. An absolute must see for anyone who appreciates art and beauty.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best so far this year!
Review: I would say this movie is inspiration in all respects. The acting was probably what helped it along the most. But next to that would be that looming image of a whale, drifting inside of the blue world we call the ocean. It is just moving, utterly and completely moving. I have one main disclaimer for this film. It can be boring. And it will be incredibly boring to the type of people who will want to see "Kill Bill" or "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." I admit, there isn't a fight scene at all and that can ward some people off. But all must take into consideration the beauty of this film. I have already mentioned the whale image. But what else is beautiful is the relaitionship between Pai (the Oscar nod-worthy Keisha Castle-Hughes) and her traditional grandfather. Just think of it as a flower bud inside of a box when the owner is too busy to take it out and put it in the sun. The movie strongly focuses on how tradition starts to move away and their relaitionship's blossoming stage. Bottom Line: This is one of the best films of the year so far, in that it delves into the depths of character study and the old Maori tribes of New Zealand to the point where you just feel this sense of inspiration and happiness. Incredible! A fine film. (I give it an A)
Rating:
Summary: A definite must-see movie.
Review: Whale Rider is a wonderful film. It captures the struggle of people at the edge of losing their distinct culture in a way that everyone can relate to. The grandfather is very traditional, keeping alive the Maori legends and beliefs. However, his insistance that everything be as it always had been almost causes the community to become lost entirely. It is only the strength of soul in his granddaughter that rescues their history while, at the same time, taking it in a new direction. The performances of all of the actors are noteworthy but it is Keisha Castle-Hughes (Pai) and Rawiri Paratene (Koro) who stand out the most. So many times morals are banged over our heads but the messages in Whale Rider are much more subtle, despite being extremely powerful. There is no denial of the new way of doing things but a celebration of traditions and history. This is definitely one of the best films I've seen.
Rating:
Summary: Charming Keisha Castle-Hughes Will Steal Your Heart
Review: 11 year-old newcomer Keisha Castle-Hughes literally shines in this endearing and moving tale about a Maori girl Pai, whose belief conquers every obstacle before her. You don't have to know the original book; you just have to see the radiating charm of Keisha as Pai. When Pai was born, her twin brother was dead. Though this misfortune didn't alienate the chief of the family Koro from his granddaughter, it is painfully obvious that he wanted a boy, not a girl. Among the male-donimating tradition, Koro still seeks for the one to inherit the tradition of the people among the local boys, and starts to teach it in school. But it is Pai, now grown up a lovely girl, who thinks that she is Paikea, the decendent of the Whale Rider who arrived there from the sea a long time ago. Her zeal, however, unwittingly causes the wrath of her grandfather, who would not admit any female succeeding the name. But Pai knows that she is right, and we too. The simplicity of the story does not damage the film; it rather enhances it to the level of myth, and with the director's skillful descriptions of the Maori society where not everybody is happy to live, the film is given a colorful characters and some of the amusingly wry humor. But it is Keisha Castle-Hughes who will impress you with her charms. She is sweet, she is amiable, and most of all she is natural. Castle-Hughes, who is 'discovered' by the same agent who found Anna Paquin, is a good testimony that you don't have to attend the acting school to be a star. There are also great performance from Rawari Paratene as Koro, whose character might at first be looked at in the negative light. He succeeds in raising his portrait of the grandfather to tragedy, and we are not angry with, but sorry for him. Pai's speech given at the latter half of the film is one of the greatest moments in the movie history, easily matching the Auden quotations by John Hannah in "Four Weddings and a Funeral." Her sincere words would never fail to move you, and that part alone is worth the time of your life. In short, a must to see.
Rating:
Summary: Keisha Castle-Hughes WILL MELT YOUR HEART
Review: Witi Ihimaera is the novelist who transformed the story of the Paikea whale legend, and the film is based on his book. WHALE RIDER is about destiny, leadership and culture, and it is also about the lives of children. The story is filled with magic, including the magic of nature, family and everyday life. An old genealogical legend of the Ngati Konohi -- a people of the East Coast of New Zealand -- says that their founding father arrived on the back of a whale in the 8th century, landing in the place that became the village of Whangara, where WHALE RIDER is set. Of the wonderful things about the New Zealand film WHALE RIDER, the best of those things is the performance from first time, young actress Keisha Castle-Hughes. Whale Rider is a contemporary story set amid the nowadsays downtrodden natives of New Zealand about a Maori legend and the coming-of-age story about a brave adolescent girl, Pai (Castle-Hughes). Narrating the story of her own birth, Pai, now aged 12, tells of how she survived but her long-awaited twin brother, the first-born male and all that, died at birth as did her mother. There is an undercurrent of guilt as though she were somehow to blame. Soon after Pai's birth, her father, an artist, has gone to Europe to pursue his career in a new life -- away from his judgmental father and deteriorating Maori people. The girl was named 'Paikea' after her founding ancestor, and Pai is raised by her grandparents. Her stern grandfather (Rawiri Paratene) is the tradition-bound chief of the village, and his influence has kept Pai interested in Maori legend and tradition. But as a girl, Pai is forbidden by her grandfather to take any leading part in ancestral traditions. Pai's kindly but tough grandmother (Vicky Haughton) nonetheless secretly supports her granddaughter's ambitions. When Pai's grandfather decides to educate the boys of the village in the ways of the proud past, she is barred. But she unobtrusively hangs around, eavesdropping and learning all the anceint rituals and warrior skills anyway. Pai's grandfather flies into a cruel rage when he discovers that his granddaughter has broken the ancient taboo by crossing the gender line. However, Pai has a special spiritual relationship with nature and especially the whales, the very thing her grandfather is looking for in a new leader. When the time (and the whales) come, Pai nearly loses her life but proves to her grandfather that she is the one ready to lead. WHALE RIDER is a visually enchanting, thoroughly engrossing story brought to life through very strong performances. It is a charming film that haswon People's Choice (audience) awards at the Toronto Film Festival and at Sundance, San Francisco and Rotterdam. This is a very uplifting, completely entertaining, must see film.
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