Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful family film!
Review: I Loved this movie! It's a great family film with strong messages for young girls. Follow your heart, believe in yourself and never let anyone else hold you back. This film should appeal to almost everyone.The Maori music and singing was nice and the information on their culture, interesting. Filmed in New Zealand.
Rating:
Summary: Yesterday and Today
Review: I went to this fim because it is about Pacific Islanders and because Keisha Castle-Hughes is a dead-ringer in every way of my own daughter when she was that age (her amakua is the wild dolphin, however). But I always watch a movie with an ear open for the kauna- the hidden meaning. Whale Rider touches my heart because it acknowledges those who are adrift in the ocean of change....not able to return to the past and unable to live in the present without numbing the pain of separation from "something missing". In this movie, the protagonists are able to make the leap from a traditional form or ritual to one that evokes the underlying spirit in a new form- a form that fulfills the needs of the changing times. This leap is one we must all face sooner or later. Whale Rider demonstrates the power of forgiveness over pain...a valuable tool for every seeker. 10/30/03 Update. I have just received the DVD from amazon.com and it is a real treasure, produced with the same spirit that animates the film. The extra features are very interesting and so complementary to the movie that one can feel the power of true unity and collaboration that was created on every level by this production. In Hawaii, we call it "pono". Beautifully done, everyone!
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Summary: Oh My God
Review: 3 words 2nd best movie ever after shawshank redemption
Rating: 
Summary: A portrayal of myth, feminism and adaptation
Review: I have invariably found that contrary to expectation, movies from New Zealand have a grim, dark aspect that belie the gorgeous pastoral landscapes which they also offer. This movie is no exception. The movie is based on an creation myth of some of the Maori people who believe that Paikea, their ancestor, came to the area on the back of a whale which rescued him when his canoe overturned. Drawing on this myth, New Zealand writer, Witi Ihimaera, wrote the book on which this movie is based while he was living in New York, when he saw a whale spouting in the Hudson River. The movie has come about eighteen years after the book. The movie centers on the relationship between a twelve-year-old Maori girl, Pai, who is cared for by her grandfather, Koro, a tribal chief, and his wife Nanny Flowers. Koro, who is eager to ensure tribal succesion, trains the first-born twelve year old boys of the community in the requsiite Maori traditions for leadership, but refuses to admit Pai to these classes over her vocal protests.Pai nonetheless secretly eavesdrops on these classes and begins to master the use of the traditional Maori club. I will sparing some other details which should however not be missed when you watch this. The movie reaches a dramatic climax after a group of whales are beached and are doomed to languish until Pai attempts a dramatic feat which nearly costs her life. After this ordeal, she is finally accepted as heir to the tribe which finds renewed strength after this. There is a palpable emotional depth to this movie which comes across not in the dialogue, but in the moving facial expressions and the silent language which binds this community.
Rating:
Summary: Heavy
Review: "Whale Rider" is certainly a different kind of film, both in its setting among the modern Maori of New Zealand and its emotional story of a young girl facing the prejudices of her traditional grandfather, an elder chief. Grandfather hopes his grandchild will be a boy to carry on the chiefdom, but is disappointed when the child is born a girl. Already disillusioned by his own sons who live a more relaxed modern existence, Grandfather sets out to find another worthy lad among the village youth (some of whom are troubled by absent parents and near-poverty.) Despite angry rebuffs, the granddaughter persists in attempting to assert herself as a candidate to carry on the town's ancient legacy. There is a haunting spiritual undertone to the actions of this brave girl; if all this sounds like a far cry from slick and frivolous Hollywood, it is. I think it would be a mistake to pigeonhole the film by calling it "charming" as many have done, because in actual fact it's not all that charming - this is a gritty film full of strong sorrows, painful conflicts, and awkward situations. Indeed, the burdensome tone of heavy sorrow which covers most of the middle part of the film seems unrelenting at times, and just when you think and pray that things are going to get better, they keep on getting worse. The human inspiration which we have come to find takes a long time to get there, but when it does at last, it is moving and memorable.
Rating:
Summary: Homesick
Review: This film was so good, so vivid and so moving that it made me homesick for New Zealand and the wonderful Maori people who befriended me. I was only priviledged to live there 3 years but I would have given up my US citizenship to have stayed. The film was especially meaningful to me because I recognized the area and have seen the war canoes in areas where I have dived the waters. My only criticism is that so many pakeha here in this country do not understand the meanings of some of the traditions shown.
Rating:
Summary: Whale Rider
Review: This is the most moving and memorable movie I've ever seen!
Rating:
Summary: Touching
Review: I was a little reluctant to see the movie, as I had not heard much about it except for one excellent reccomendation from a friend, and I knew very little about the movie. However, I decided to take the chance and make this one of the, maybe 3, movies I see a year at a theater. All I can say is that I am very very glad I did so. Whale rider was an amazing movie, and it was very very touching. I never cry at movies, and I was quite suprised when, at one part, I actually found tears running down my face. The performance by the girl, Pai, was excellent, and suprising for a young actress. This is a movie I will be likely to see again.
Rating:
Summary: a movie that will stay with you
Review: This movie is so amazing that I watched it two weekends in a row to make sure I did not miss anything. I took a towel the second time because kleenex were not enough. The movie takes place in New Zealand in the Maori Indian culture. Pi's grandfaher is awaiting the birth of his grandson so he can lead his people once again, like the legend of the Whale Rider led thier people to New Zealand. The child was born dead and thus only his twin sister survived, and, in her grandfather's eyes could never be the leader that the Maori People needed. The young girl loved her grandfather, and her heritage, and forgave his narrow mindedness because she understood his frustrations and wishes she could be the grandon he wanted. The girl ( Keisha Cstle-Hugess ) gives the most touching performance I have ever seen, worthy of an Oscar nomination. Also, the scenery is beautiful and witnessing some Maori dances customs was an added bonus. Great for a family or a date!
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful film that fills a much-needed void in cinema.
Review: This is the kind of film we need more of. Not smarty-pants indies about losers spewing pop-culture reference, not four-way split-screen showoffs, and not jaded Gaspar Noe-style gorefests. Rather, Whale Rider is an intimate, heartfelt story told with complete earnesty with skill and expressiveness, with acting to die for. The enchanting Keisha Castle-Hughes deserves an Oscar nomination for a soulful, rich performance as Pai, the last heir in a long line of Maori chieftains, and an end to the bloodline according to tradition, by virtue of being a girl. The heartbreaking opening sequence immediately sets the acting and emotional bars high, gripping the audience right off the bat. One of the best openings of any film I've ever seen. And when Castle-Hughes launches into the monologue that is the emotional core of the film, it's a moment of pure magic. The last child performance with this level of emotional depth that I can remember is Jena Malone in Bastard Out of Carolina -- all the more impressive considering it's Castle-Hughes' first film. She is definitely a star in the making, an actor of rare gift. The rest of the cast is equally stellar: Rawiri Paratene achieves just the right balance between gravity and likeability as Pai's grandfather Koro, making him the best kind of antagonist -- the one we sympathize with. Vicky Haughton as Nanny and the incredibly versatile Cliff Curtis as Porourangi offer stirling supporting performances. Aside from one or two minute editing choices in the dialogue scenes, I really find no flaw in this film. The pacing slows down greatly near the end, but all to good effect; the cinematography is beautiful; director Niki Caro's shot choices and writing are both sharp and engaging; and Lisa Gerrard is in her element her, offering a minimalistic and repetitive, yet perfectly tailored score which serves the film well. I'm not a big fan of all her work, finding her tendency to always use exotic music styles sometimes irritating (especially in The Insider, whose specific American angle was compromised by Gerrard's chants), but in Whale Rider, Gerrard is the perfect choice for a composer. A gripping emotional experience, and a truly fine film that scales the heights.
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