Whale Rider

Whale Rider
by Niki Caro

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Cliff Curtis, Grant Roa, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton
Director: Niki Caro
Brand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 101 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-10-28
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures

Movie Reviews of Whale Rider

Movie Review: Maori Power
Summary: 4 Stars

Whale Rider is the story of a young girl whose mother and twin brother died at her birth. This tragedy has profoundly affected her family, which includes her grandfather, who is chief of a long lineage going all the way back to the Maori ancestor called the Whalerider. Her grandfather is strong but stubborn that only a male can be the next chief. He cannot look to his two grown sons for this, and so he creates a school to teach the first-born boys in his village the secret ways of the Maori warrior, in hopes that one of them will emerge as the rightful chief.

The movie is slow and drawn-out, and that is why I rated it four stars instead of five. And, I expected much more at the climax. The performances, setting, music and acting are outstanding. The little girl , her character and the actress, is so inspiring for her courage to follow her own path in the face of constant, withering criticism from the one person she wants to please - her grandfather. Truly, some of the things he says to her are horrible.

I do recommend this film, but younger children might lose interest because of the lack of action. Also, there is some brief, but very crude and inappropriate "guy humour" in one scene at the grandfather's school for boys.

Whale Rider is worth seeing for the outstanding performance of this young girl. I can't wait to see her future projects.

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Summary of Whale Rider

One of the most charming and critically acclaimed films of 2003, the New Zealand hit Whale Rider effectively combines Maori tribal tradition with the timely "girl power" of a vibrant new millennium. Despite the discouragement of her gruff and disapproving grandfather (Rawiri Paratene), who nearly disowns her because she is female and therefore traditionally disqualified from tribal leadership, 12-year-old Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes) is convinced that she is a tribal leader, and sets about to prove it. Rather than inflate this story (from a novel by Witi Ihimaera) with artificial sentiment, writer-director Niki Caro develops very real and turbulent family relationships, intimate and yet torn by a collision between stubborn tradition and changing attitudes. The mythic whale rider--the ultimate symbol of Maori connection to nature--is also the harbinger of Pai's destiny, and the appealing Castle-Hughes gives a luminous, astonishingly powerful performance that won't leave a dry eye in the house. With its fresh take on a familiar tale, Whale Rider is definitely one from the heart. --Jeff Shannon

A small Maori village faces a crisis when the heir to the leadership of the Ngati Konohi dies at birth and is survived only by his twin sister Pai. Although disregarded by her grandfather and shunned by the village people twelve-year-old Pai remains certain of her calling and trains herself in the ways and customs of her people. With remarkable grace Pai finds the strength to challenge her family and embraces a thousand years of tradition in order to fulfill her destiny.System Requirements:Running Time: 101 Min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: PG-13 UPC: 043396022720 Manufacturer No: 02272

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