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(1 - 28) of 28 OFCS Rating: 79% Fresh Page   1   "Keke Palmer, Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett are absolutely fabulous in 'Akeelah and the Bee.' And so is this movie."   ReelTalk Movie Reviews   Betty Jo Tucker B- "The theme of educational growth against incredible odds is richly appreciated, but the payoffs lack dramatic gas."   FilmJerk.com   Brian Orndorf B- ""Akeelah And The Bee" is a movie that parents should be happy to let their kids go see on their own; they just might start reading the dictionary."   ColeSmithey.com   Cole Smithey "Akeelah not only embodies her gift and her passion, but she also inspires new ways of thinking about intellectual activities."   PopMatters   Cynthia Fuchs 3/5 "We see the seeds of something special here; Palmer cements herself here as one to watch in the years to come."   eFilmCritic.com   David Cornelius 3/4 "Director Atchison succinctly separates the film's emotional core from a surfeit of cornball classism."   rec.arts.movies.reviews   David N. Butterworth 2.5/4 "...a sporadically engaging drama."   Reel Film Reviews   David Nusair 2.5/4 "A winning and suitably uplifting way to spend a couple hours."   TheMovieBoy.com   Dustin Putman C- "Stands there with a straight face and tells us it's an inspiring, ennobling story of dedication and triumph ... when in fact it's an utterly derivative, 100-percent-recycled, completely forgettable story of dedication and triumph."   EricDSnider.com   Eric D. Snider 3.5/4 "It's the kind of warm-hearted surprise that transcends its trappings and winds up being more Bobby Fischer than Tyler Perry."   eFilmCritic.com   Erik Childress 4/5 "A film like this has to be seen. It’s beautiful, it’s encouraging, and it really inspires its audience to commit to something positive. Films such as this can not be merely forgotten."   Film Threat   Felix Vasquez Jr. C+ "Nice but more than a little formulaic...like a family telefilm that's migrated somewhat uncomfortably to theatres."   One Guy's Opinion   Frank Swietek 5/5 "One of the best films of the year with its inspiring story of an eleven-year old African-American girl who claims her power with the help of 50,000 coaches."   Spirituality and Practice   Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat 2/4 "Utilizes every cliché in the book to hammer its point home with maximum sugar content."   Palo Alto Weekly   Jeanne Aufmuth 8/10 "If there's ever any evidence that originality and predictability aren't necessarily absolute elements by which to judge a movie, Akeelah and the Bee is it."   Window to the Movies   Jeffrey Chen 7/10 "While some might spell 'predictable' as H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D, this film manages to take that very quality and polish it off enough that the resultant offering feels fresh, engaging and highly entertaining."   Screen It!   Jim Judy 3/5 "It's hard not to fall in love with the film"   FilmFocus   Joe Utichi 5/5 "I cannot find the words to express my joy and elation over this movie and my love for it. As ironic as that is, I'm speechless with happiness. "   3BlackChicks Review   Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel 3/4 "Sentimental, manipulative, predictable and utterly charming, writer-director Doug Atchison's underdog tale revolves around an indifferent student who blossoms after heeding the siren call of competitive spelling."   TV Guide's Movie Guide   Maitland McDonagh "[P]retty darn wonderful: uplifting without being sappy, inspiring without being unrealistic. I confess I got a bit sniffly at the end, even though I saw the ending coming..."   Flick Filosopher   MaryAnn Johanson 2.5/4 "A sentimental attempt to piggyback on the continued popularity of Spellbound."   Slant Magazine   Nick Schager 2.5/5 "Undermined by an over-scripted plot and gooey sentiment."   Shadows on the Wall   Rich Cline C "The audience for this slender effort is still in grade school with little new and different to recommend it for anyone older than, say, the age of 12."   Reeling Reviews   Robin Clifford B- "... a celebratory drama engineered to leave you choked up and cheering."   Seattle Post-Intelligencer   Sean Axmaker 2.5/4 "The message remains fantastic for kids, even if the director allows his events to teeter toward comical near the end."   Charlotte Weekly   Sean O'Connell 7/10 "Tough love triumphs over adversity in this inspirational, feel-good film."   Modamag.com   Susan Granger "Click here to see review"   Wolf Entertainment Guide   William Wolf 3.5/4 Read review   Big Picture Big Sound   Joe Lozito  (1 - 28) of 28 OFCS Rating: 79% Fresh Page   1