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Summary: 2 hidden extras on the DVD!!
Review: Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment has hidden two surprises on its Special Edition DVD of 'Whale Rider' that are not immediately obvious. Here's how to locate them.
From the DVD's Main Menu go to the 'Special Features' and there select the 'TV Spots' menu entry. On the next submenu highlight the menu entry' Special Features' at the bottom of the screen and then press the 'Right' arrow key on your remote control. This will give you access to the original New Zealand theatrical trailer for the film.
Now go back to the 'Special Features' menu and highlight the 'Main Menu' entry at the bottom of the screen. Press the 'Left' arrow key on your remote control to get access to a 6-minute clip, which is eleven year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes's remarkable audition tape that won her the role of Paikea in the film. Despite having no previous acting experience, Keisha was chosen from thousands of girls in an extensive school-wide search.I just wanted all you who own this DVD to know of these 2 hidden extras, you will LOVE them!!
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Summary: Another great film about women facing their ethnic cultures
Review: This is the fourth movie I've seen in the past two years about women standing up to ethnic cultural barriers to their growth and realization of who they are and who they can be. (And let's be fair: it's not just ethnic cultures that have put women down. Our own American melting pot culture still does to a large degree.) The others:
* Bend it Like Beckham
* My Big Fat Greek Wedding
* Real Women Have Curves All four are excellent. Whale Rider is the most serious of the bunch. It also presents a culture (New Zealand Maori) that is probably the most foreign to Americans. And that was intriguing to me for its own sake. Whale Rider is about a group of Maori's waiting for a leader to be born. That leader must be a man. When young Pai, a girl is born, her grandfather largely rejects her because she is not the boy he wanted to come out of their kingly bloodline. Pai secretly learns the ways of the Maori, including the ways of Maori warriors. She learns and loves these things far more than the boys her grandfather identifies as potential leaders, including her own father and uncle. She becomes the leader, and her grandfather finally realizes he has been wrong. One of the things I love about all of these movies is that the women reject the denigrating aspects of their cultures while still being present and choosing to love their families. They embrace the noble and beautiful aspects of their cultures, while overcoming that which would keep them down. In doing this, they show that culture can adapt and grow and still be beautiful and relevant. This is a beautiful movie. It says much without a lot of words. The actors, including and especially the actress who plays Pai, are excellent.
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Summary: This movie sucks more than a new born baby
Review: This movie Sucks big time i hate it
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but Better is Available
Review: "Whale Rider" is not a typical film in the Hollywood tradition. It has no big name stars, is filmed entirely in New Zealand and often dwells in the darker side of people. Although, having said that, the film does have a happy ending and thus ends on a positive tone. I cannot truly say that I enjoyed the film and although Keisha Castle-Hughes has been nominated for an Oscar as best actress, I think this, in itself, overstates what is a worthy film without ever being great. In fact, although the characters are quite believable, I had some difficulty empathising with them. For Americans, which is where all films try to succeed, I would recommend another New Zealand film as an introduction to this genre. That is, rather than see "Whale Rider", try to locate a copy of "Once were Warriors". This is gritty film making at its best and the best product to ever come from New Zealand.
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Summary: STRIKINGLY BEAUTIFUL
Review: WHALE RIDER is the wonderful story of a young girl born into the male-dominated world of a Maori tribe. When her twin brother, the anticipated future chief, dies at birth her tradition-bound grandfather is unwilling to accept her, feeling that her birth is a bad omen that has effectively broken the patriarchal ties to the original ancestral leader and Whale Rider, the legendary Paikea. The story blossoms as our heroine, also named Paikea (Pai for short), gently teaches an old man how desire, vision and love can go well beyond tradition. Keisha Castle-Hughes is marvelous in the role of Pai. Nominated for the Academy Award for best actress--the youngest nominee ever in the category--Ms. Castle-Hughes promises to be someone from whom we will be seeing some great performances for many years to come. It seems that the Academy got it right with this one and hopefully we'll see Keisha proudly toting Oscar very soon. Douglas McAllister
Rating:
Summary: A star is born
Review: Whale Rider is named after the mythical ancient chief who was saved from drowning by riding to shore on the back of a whale. This is a classically constructed 21st-century fable of generational and gender conflict in which the old ways compete with progressive ideas and an individual female voice attempts to be heard in a patriarchal society. As the heroine, Pai, Keisha Castle-Hughes is a real find - possessed of a glorious screen face, with her dark unruly hair framing strong features and piercing eyes locked in concentration or scowling at the weight of her destiny. In a film of many delights, her mesmerising performance carries the conviction not just of a natural born leader but of a natural born star.
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Summary: "It's become even more than that . . . he needs a prophet."
Review: Niki Caro's "Whale Rider" is an uplifting film that contrasts sharply from the generic Hollywood fare being churned out these days. It has an energy to it that is infectious and a story that is as unconventional as it is novel. It also showcases the most heartfelt and authentic performance by a young actress in quite some time. A young Maori girl named Pai Apirana (Keisha Castle-Hughes) survives a birth that claims the lives of her mother and her twin baby brother. Her birth creates a problem because her father, Porourangi (Cliff Curtis) was next in line to be the chief of his people. However, he has no interest in assuming the mantle of leadership and leaves for Europe to pursue his art career. Faced with no male heir, Pai's grandfather Koro (Rawiri Paratene) - the current chief - ignores talk that Pai could be the next chief and begins to look outside the family for his successor. Supported by her grandmother, Nanny Flowers (Vicky Haughton), Pai nonetheless refuses to give up on her quest to succeed her grandfather. "Whale Rider" is no spectacle of a film. It is a small-scale depiction of the lives of real people who experience their fair share of hardships and triumphs. On this level, the film is a charming and enjoyable production. The acting is top-notch across the board and the New Zealand backdrop is breathtaking, but it is Castle-Hughes who is most responsible for making the film work. She has a magnetic aura about her that she projects effortlessly from the first frame she appears in. So appealing is Castle-Hughes as an actress that you are glad that you accompanied her character on her cinematic journey. The spiritual aspect of the film is also is welcome departure from the standard cliches that so many filmgoers are used to seeing. It adds another dimension to the story that makes it even more satisfying. In sum, "Whale Rider" feels like a breath of fresh air for viewers eagerly looking for something original and entertaining.
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Summary: A Nice Little Feel Good Movie
Review: WHALE RIDER is one of those independent sleepers that happens to catch the hearts of the movie audience, much like MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING etc. Simple stories with universal truths told well. This could easily be a National Geographic documentary for all its beauty of New Zealand. But it has much more: the little known Maori people of New Zealand have been celebrated by such well known descendants as soprano Kiri Te Kanawa who introduces Maori folksongs on her highly lauded performances throughout the world, but rarely have we been given the insights into a wondrous strange reflection of our tribal beginnings as we have here. WHALE RIDER is a simple tale of a tribe who are dependent upon the firstborn males to carry on the wisdom of the ancients. When Piakea (Keisha Castle-Hughes) is born her twin MALE brother dies as does her mother. Paikea's claim to the line of chieftains is denied by her grandfather and the townspeople, only serving to encourage Paikea to prove that she is deserving of the role to which she feels she is born. The means by which she gains her rightful place fill out this story. There is a tearful speech about her history and beliefs that brings tears to everyone's eyes, and there is a panoramic miracle of whales beaching that is staggering in its impact. To this reviewer's eyes it is the skill of the Director Niki Caro that deserves the accolades being heaped on Keisha Castle-Hughes. Yes, she performs well and is directed keenly and sympathetically by Caro through some lovely scenes, but is this "performance" really deserving of an Oscar when such brilliant actors such as Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Frances McDormand, etc etc have polished their craft through long commitment? I wonder why all the need to grant an award to a child who hopefully will grow into such company.
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Summary: Stunning performance
Review: Keisha Castle-Hughes has been nominated for "Best Actress" Oscar this year, 2004. She is the youngest nominee ever in that category. Isabelle Adjani had been the youngest nominee at 20 years of age in that category when, in 1979 for her role in "Adele H", she was nominated. I could go on and on about this movie miracle but for me the scene that broke my heart was the speech Pica gives to her absent Grandfather at her school performance. That kind of crying is good for the soul. And, it's for that most moving performance that Keisha deserves this nomination. Superlative.
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Summary: Keisha Castle-Hughes fully deserves her OSCAR Nomination !!
Review: I watched the movie on a plane. I happened to have read about the film on some Internet newspapers, which was fortunate, as I would have picked "Pirates of Caribbean" if I had not known anything about this film. I was practically blown away by Keisha Castle-Hughes' performance. I was mesmerized by the Maori backdrop and the tale of the whale rider. I was moved to tears when I watched Castle-Hughes dedicate her tribal dances to her stubborn grandfather. I held my breath when I awaited to know her fate as she became associated with the "whale rider". The main theme for the first two-third of the movie is about the suffering of Castle-Hughes' character because of the rejection by her grandfather, who, although in fact loved her a lot, just could not contemplate a female should become a leader as he was so stuck with traditions, and her determination to prove herself again and again. She wanted to prove that she could do as well as (maybe even better than) other body, but she never did it in an aggressive or assertive way. I think this is a major difference between this movie and some other "teenager strive for success" movies. It shows the inner strength of Castle-Hughes' character, which will be an important asset if she ever becomes the tribe's leader. The movie also provides a realistic picture of how the life of the Maori is like in modern-day New Zeland when they choose to stay together as a tribe community. Their life is simple, and material comfort is never rich but not primitive. And children go to schools in town. Keisha Castle-Hughes carried the movie from start to finish, and left an unforgettable impression to the viewers. The grandfather and grandmother characters also gave terrific performance. I ended up watching the film twice as it was replayed again on the plane. I never regretted missing "Pirates of Caribbean" -- I later watched "Pirates" in a full-fledged home theater environment but even so, I still judge "Whale Rider" to be a far more memorable film in 2003. Yes, "Pirates" got multiple Oscar nominations including best film, but I truly believe Keisha Castle-Hughes deserves her BEST LEADING ACTRESS OSCAR nomination, and the youngest nominee to boast (just 13, can you believe it?!!) I bought this DVD and plan to watch it many times in future. I sincerely recommend you to do the same.
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