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SOUL SURFERMovie Reviews
Sports drama based on a true story about a teenage girl who loses her arm in a shark attack while surfing and finds the courage to return to surfing nonetheless. Cast:Dennis Quaid, AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Lorraine Nicholson, Carrie UnderwoodDirector:Sean McNamaraRelease Date:April 8, 2011DVD Release:August 9, 2011From:TriStar PicturesRating:PGLength:1 hr. 45 min.
Soul Surfer played to moderate reviews. • Claudia Puig wrote in USA Today, "Bethany's determination and faith are remarkable. It's too bad this movie made a brave young woman's life appear like an unremarkable soap opera." • And Colin Covert wrote in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Though it flirts with saccharine Sunday-school uplift, there's a redeeming core of sincerity in this story..." More Reviews Below...
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: WEAK(cg) "...overly simplistic mush.... an uncomfortable combination of pat, feel-good platitudes, two-dimensional characters, cheesy special effects and generically idyllic scenery."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 611 words, 04/07/11
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "...overly earnest... The sincere message -- perseverance is essential when faced with life's setbacks -- is a good one, but the movie is a bit of a chore to watch."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 78 words, 04/07/11
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the more cynical viewers out there may say, 'Not for me.' But 'Soul Surfer,' while formulaic in design, is an authentic and heartfelt movie."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 202 words, 04/08/11
Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "Bethany's determination and faith are remarkable. It's too bad this movie made a brave young woman's life appear like an unremarkable soap opera."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 265 words, 04/08/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "I applaud her faith and spirit. I give her full credit for her determination. I realize she is a great athlete. But I feel something is missing."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 697 words, 04/08/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
Andy Webster, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Make no mistake, 'Soul Surfer' celebrates Christianity... But the piety takes a backseat to the welcome glimmers of grit.... a portrait of a spirited, resilient athlete..."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 397 words, 04/08/11
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "...by-the-numbers... the film's depiction of Bethany Hamilton's family and friends is from a pious, standard TV-movie-style kit -- just add water."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 103 words, 04/08/11
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: GOOD "...if you've seen the real-life Hamilton on the ESPYs or Nickelodeon's Teen Choice awards, you know she's as much a force of nature as the waves she rides."(See all of Glenn Whipp's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 468 words, 04/08/11
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "...terminally bland... a committee of 18 producers and seven writers has removed nearly every trace of grit from this airbrushed portrait."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 395 words, 04/08/11
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "...may well be an accurate retelling of Bethany's life and not a touch-up job. Either way, the movie itself ends up feeling oddly uninspired."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 04/08/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "I applaud her faith and spirit. I give her full credit for her determination. I realize she is a great athlete. But I feel something is missing."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 697 words, 04/08/11
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...a true story that plays like bad fiction.... much good did come of this - what didn't, alas, is anything resembling a good movie."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 566 words, 04/08/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...shamelessly manipulative... a wholesome movie for wholesome people who really, really don't want to think about what their entertainment means."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 248 words, 04/07/11
KEY CITIES (12 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: WEAK(cg) "...contains enough platitudes to stock a Hallmark shop.... The swells of inspirational storytelling sometimes threaten to swamp the underlying inspirational story."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 535 words, 04/08/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the best faith-based film ever made, an uplifting, entertaining and wonderfully-acted account of surfer Bethany Hamilton's life before and after a shark bit her arm off..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 599 words, 04/08/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Though it flirts with saccharine Sunday-school uplift, there's a redeeming core of sincerity in this story of real-life tragedy and perseverance."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 281 words, 04/08/11
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "When Bethany goes from 'How can this be God's plan for me?' to 'I don't need easy, I just need possible,' I stopped rolling my eyes and just said, 'Amen.' "(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 466 words, 04/08/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The faith issue? That's a difficult balance to strike, and one that never pleases everyone... But for plenty of family viewers, this film will catch a wave."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 502 words, 04/08/11
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Just an ounce or two of real-world substance would have greatly enhanced the film's power and authenticity and made for a more worthy retelling of an amazing story."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 341 words, 04/08/11
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "The strength of the real-life story, some impressive cinematography and a memorable performance by AnnaSophia Robb salvage what is otherwise a frustrating biopic..."(See all of Peter Hartlaub's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 419 words, 04/08/11
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: MODERATE(cg) "AnnaSophia Robb, as Bethany, is charming (particularly in the early scenes, as you sense the freedom she finds in riding a big wave), but her character is given no nuance."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 309 words, 04/08/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: GOOD(cg) "...a fairly entertaining show, and certainly what people who think movies are a godless art can get behind.... a nice movie, in temperament if not always quality."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 426 words, 04/07/11
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...if there ever was a better movie to pass along a message about perseverance, courage and faith and also highlight the sheer glory of riding a wave, I can't imagine it."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 words, 04/08/11
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: MODERATE(cg) "...a movie of easily digestible truths and canned inspirational messages, taking every possible easy route though a story that could have used a few more thorns."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 620 words, 04/08/11
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...there's a sense that they're trying to map Hamilton's actual life over the conventional beats of a sports-underdog film.... the conventions mostly win..."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 450 words, 04/07/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the kind of sturdy, satisfying family drama that doesn't get made very often anymore.... at crucial moments it shows there's actually a brain behind the camera."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 704 words, 04/07/11
Glenn Heath Jr., Slant: POOR(cg) "...thoughtless and toothless... The footprints of the hero's journey are practically stamped on the screen, and this path leads directly into a suffocating deep end."(See all of Glenn Heath Jr.'s reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,000 words, 04/03/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...shamelessly manipulative... a wholesome movie for wholesome people who really, really don't want to think about what their entertainment means."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 248 words, 04/07/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "No one actually walks on water during the fact-based sports drama, but the Christian signifiers arrive with the regularity of waves slamming against the Hawaiian shoreline."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 321 words, 04/08/11
Andy Webster, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Make no mistake, 'Soul Surfer' celebrates Christianity... But the piety takes a backseat to the welcome glimmers of grit.... a portrait of a spirited, resilient athlete..."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 397 words, 04/08/11
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...if you've seen the real-life Hamilton on the ESPYs or Nickelodeon's Teen Choice awards, you know she's as much a force of nature as the waves she rides."(See all of Glenn Whipp's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 468 words, 04/08/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Rob Nelson, Daily Variety: GOOD "Distinguished by splashy cinematography and engaging performances from Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt... Thesping quality is strong across the board..."(See all of Rob Nelson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 735 words, 03/26/11
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "Sean McNamara and no less than seven credited writers recite the basic facts in dramatic form but give a viewer little sense of who these people..."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 920 words, 03/26/11
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...if you've seen the real-life Hamilton on the ESPYs or Nickelodeon's Teen Choice awards, you know she's as much a force of nature as the waves she rides."(See all of Glenn Whipp's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 468 words, 04/08/11
Andy Webster, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Make no mistake, 'Soul Surfer' celebrates Christianity... But the piety takes a backseat to the welcome glimmers of grit.... a portrait of a spirited, resilient athlete..."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 397 words, 04/08/11
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "No one actually walks on water during the fact-based sports drama, but the Christian signifiers arrive with the regularity of waves slamming against the Hawaiian shoreline."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 321 words, 04/08/11
17.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Soul Surfer's reviews are separated by an average 17.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Soul Surfer (36 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Soul Surfer's reviews cover 58.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 15,789 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 439 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 14.8 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Soul Surfer's reviews on average broke 14.8 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Soul Surfer's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Soul Surfer (36 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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