Whale Rider (Special Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Whale Rider (Special Edition)
Movie Review: Madi from Lake Tapps says, "Fantastic book!"
Summary: 5 Stars
The Whale Rider
What if you were just a little girl who craved your Grandfathers love but just got neglected all the time? This is the problem Kahu has in the book The Whale Rider, by Witi Ihimaera. This book is 150 pages of a fun-loving young girl who becomes something no one thought she would ever be.
This book begins when Kahu is born, and she's a girl which means Koro Apirana is not happy. Koro Apirana is trying to find the next Whale Rider, which he believes to be a boy because he thinks boys are the dominating species, and if he secedes it would mean big things. Kahu, as the older she gets, does things that none of the boys could do, but Koro doesn't know this. This leads Nanny Flowers, Koro's wife, and Rawiri, Kahu's uncle, to believe that she could be the next Whale Rider. Nanny Flowers and Rawiri plan on not telling Koro about this, or he would be furious. So does Kahu become the Whale Rider? You have to read it to find out.
My favorite part of the book is when Nanny Flowers keeps smacking Rawiri because it's funny and because she's angry with him, and also when Nanny Flowers keeps calling Koro you old paka which means old booger, and when Nanny Flowers keeps saying that she's really going to divorce Koro this time because she always is saying it and she never really does..
The most important thing I learned is that girls are just as good as boys are and they can achieve just as much as boys can.
Witi Ihimaera has also written the books Pounamu Pounamu and Tangi, which you can buy in a book stores or check out in your local book store.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes stories of someone who struggles through many things and eventually becomes someone amazing and fulfills their destiny.
Movie Review: an wonderful emotional rollercoaster
Summary: 5 Stars
this movies is deinitely ranking among one of the best movies of the year right now. this is the kind of movie that makes drama wonderful. the message that comes across the strongest is the message of love within the family. the main character played by keisha castle-hughes is top notch and is incredibly impressive considering her young age. you see every emotion come across her face i this movie and she is utterly believable. this is a story about generational gaps and how the older generation holds on to beliefs so hard that they are willing to disregard family over tradition. this movie has many female equality issues weaved into the story and each of them is well founded. when the young girl's grandfather repeatedly tells her that she cannot participate because she is a girl he often pretends that she does not exist. however on each of the tasks he teaches to the first born boys she is able to outdo all of them. on more than one occasion she defies the odds and proves that she is the whale rider that the old traditions have spoken of, and the fact that she is female is just unacceptable to her grandfather. there are many very emotional moment sin this film that could bring a tear to your eye. i wont talk about them here because they are best experienced in the movie. go and see this film it is well worth the time and money. this is a nice glimpse into a people that are very unique and have ways that are not our own but still hold meaning for the people who descended from the whale rider. it is also a story about love within the family and how almost losing something can make a person realize how much somethiong really means to them. there is a lesson in this movie that reveals differences between the generations and how in actuality the opposing generations have equal leesons to learn from each other. excellent film go and see it!Movie Review: Whale of a Tale
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Movie Review: Magical storytelling...
Summary: 5 Stars
Descendant of the whale rider and first born of the new generation, Pai's grandfather is far from loving when he learns that her twin brother, destined to become chief and to lead their people in order to keep tradition alive, died along with her mother. Although he's eventually come to care for her, he's always been somewhat distant and indifferent to her special capabilities, so time and time again she tries to win his affections - to make him proud of her - but she was not the son her grandfather was expecting and a part of him loathed her very existence because of that. However, despite his anger directed toward her constant defiance as she starts bending the rules, she also stuns the people of the small village she lives in as she practices and excels in the ways of the ancient custom.
I haven't read the novel by Witi Ihimaera in which this movie is based on yet so I can't compare the two but whether they stuck to the book or not, "Whale Rider" is a sensational cinema experience all should see. Even if this isn't your thing, anyone with any sense at all will surely recognize this as a true work of art... A masterpiece, if you will. The acting is superb with riveting performances from the entire cast (most notably young novice Keisha Castle-Hughes who, IMO, should have won the Oscar for best actress!) in this compelling drama that overflows with boundless spirit...unlike many films these days that rather rely on big effects and hideous amounts of violence, or plenty of action to draw viewers in. From the beautiful cinematography of New Zealand to the Maori chanting and haunting soundscapes provided by Lisa Gerrard to further enhance the ambiance successfully brought to life here, "Whale Rider" is a gripping tear-jerker full of heart, and it will stay with you long after watching.
Movie Review: I had NO desire to see it... thank goodness I DID!
Summary: 5 Stars
I never liked and still do not care for the cover art of this movie. Even the title turned me off... it looked like "Free Willy" or some kid/animal movie which I had no interest in.
Somehow this movie made it to my DVD player, and it has become one of my top 10 movies of all time, and I'll tell you why.
Powerful Drama.
Incredible Story.
Stunning Performances.
Cultural Experience.
It's that simple, really. Without getting into the plot and all that has already been written, understand that Whale Rider is a deep, powerful story (I'd say for ages 12 and up) and is NOT a "kid's movie"; it just happens to center around a child. Whale Rider is about familial relationships, trust, respect and honor. As composer Lisa Gerrard put so well, "A sometimes dark but self effacing world of young Pai's (the main character) beautiful and difficult relationship with her grandfather that is heart rendingly defined by her awareness of her own identity, the depth of which we so often underestimate in our own children."
The cinematography is incredible... beautifully shot, and CGI-free. Lisa Gerrard's score is not just an added layer or an underscore, but it becomes an integral part of the movie's power.
Take a journey into this magical adventure you'll never forget. Congrats to Niki Caro on taking a story I had never heard of, and bringing this fascinating cultural history to life. Thanks also to all the people involved in the movie (the majority of the cast were the actual people from New Zealand with no acting experience). Hats off to Keisha Castle-Hughes, the new young actress who truly made the picture believable.
The DVD has an informative behind-the-scenes documentary worth seeing as well.