Whale Rider

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Whale Rider

PG-13

Released Jun 6, 2003

1h 41m

Kids & Family

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

156 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Only males are allowed to ascend to chiefdom in a Maori tribe in New Zealand. This ancient custom is upset when the child selected to be the next chief dies at birth. However his twin sister, Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), survives. At age 12, she enlists the help of her grandmother (Vicky Haughton) and the training of her uncle (Grant Roa) to claim her birthright. But to break with convention, she'll have to do the impossible: win over her ultra-traditional grandfather (Rawiri Paratene).

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Critics Consensus

An empowering and uplifting movie, with a wonderful performance by Castle-Hughes.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Excellent to watch and discuss as a family.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 29, 2010

Full Review

Dennis Harvey

Variety

Newcomer Castle-Hughes' unaffected, confident turn makes it credible our heroine might retain her determination and self-worth despite serial setbacks.

Jul 22, 2008

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David Ansen

Newsweek

The filmmaker knows how to seduce an audience without making it feel had. When a movie's this likable, it would take a very tough crowd not to be pleased.

Nov 1, 2007

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Nadine Whitney

The Curb

Few coming-of-age stories blend so seamlessly indigenous identity through spiritual belief and balance the reality of a world where such belief has been devalued.

Rated: A

Jun 28, 2024

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Joe Lipsett

Hazel & Katniss & Harry & Starr Podcast

A fairly standard coming of age tale that features a solid performance from Castle-Hughes. Despite being a nearly 1-to-1 adaptation, however, the film is missing the spirit (and spiritualism) of the source material.

Mar 12, 2024

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Keisha Castle-Hughes deservedly earned a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her startling film debut.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 30, 2021

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Curt B

Incredible story against the backdrop of Maori culture. An incredibly moving film that speaks on multiple levels. The story is wonderful and the movie oozes authenticity. Puts Hollywood movies to shame with a genuine, heartfelt film. May not resonate with everyone, but for me it was amazing. I finished it an hour ago and still caught by random sobs. Excellent

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/12/25

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Audience Member

Not understanding Maori culture, it leaves me lost about what's going on plus it fails to capture my interest. NO

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/26/24

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Leti A

I found it boring and extremely tedious. The characters weren’t at all relatable and there was basically no plot.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/27/24

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Connor S

Truly effective movies often show you a side of the world you had no idea existed and make you feel like it's been a part of you your entire life. This checks that box emphatically.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/05/24

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Honest D

One of the greatest movies of all time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/31/24

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Henry

I absolutely hated this movie. Slow-mo was abysmal, the story is horrible and this is so boring the plot doesn't even make sense never watching again. I would rather kiss my cousin than watch. This is the worst movie on the face of the earth. If Elon Musk gave me all his money I would not watch this. I would've hung myself if I was the main character. When she is on the whale she looks like she was high on cocaine. The worst hour and a half I've ever been through.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/15/25

Full Review

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Niki Caro

Director

Keisha Castle-Hughes

Paikea "Pai" Apirana

Rawiri Paratene

Koro Apirana

Vicky Haughton

Nanny Flowers Apirana

Cliff Curtis

Porourangi Apirana

Grant Roa

Uncle Rawiri Apirana

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Synopsis

Only males are allowed to ascend to chiefdom in a Maori tribe in New Zealand. This ancient custom is upset when the child selected to be the next chief dies at birth. However his twin sister, Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), survives. At age 12, she enlists the help of her grandmother (Vicky Haughton) and the training of her uncle (Grant Roa) to claim her birthright. But to break with convention, she'll have to do the impossible: win over her ultra-traditional grandfather (Rawiri Paratene).

Director: Niki Caro
Producer: John Barnett, Frank Hübner, Tim Sanders
Distributor: Newmarket Film Group
Production Co: Pandora, South Pacific Pictures, ApolloMedia
Rating: PG-13 (Momentary Drug Reference|Brief Language)
Genre: Kids & Family, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 6, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 31, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $20.8M
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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