Akeelah and the BeeMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 72 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
8 OK for kids 8+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 100
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Keke Palmer, a young Chicago actress whose first role was as Queen Latifah's niece in "Barbershop 2," becomes an important young star with this movie. It puts her in Dakota Fanning and Thora Cross territory, and there's something about her poise and self-possession that hints she will grow up to be a considerable actress. Read full review

  • 88
    Boston Globe | Wesley Morris

    All the gears, in fact, are shamelessly visible, yet they lock smoothly and resonantly into place. If Akeelah and the Bee is a generic, well-oiled commercial contraption, it is the first to credibly dramatize the plight of a truly gifted, poor black child. Read full review

  • 83
    Entertainment Weekly | Scott Brown

    Blessed with excellent turns by Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne, this feel-gooder revels in its hip-to-be-square hyperliteracy, and neatly exceeds its own PSA-ness, practically amounting to a black, preteen "Good Will Hunting." Read full review

  • 80
    The New York Times | Lawrence Van Gelder

    The innate suspense and charm of the spelling bee, along with a trio of crack performances, turn what is in essence a formulaic sports picture into something more satisfying: an underdog tale that manages to inspire without being sappy. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Ruthe Stein

    Akeelah and the Bee connects where it counts most, on an emotional level. Only a curmudgeon could watch this feisty but vulnerable youngster rack up victories against all odds without tearing up. Read full review

  • 70
    The Hollywood Reporter | Michael Rechtshaffen

    Effectively anchoring the picture is Keke Palmer's lovely lead performance as Akeelah Anderson. Read full review

  • 70
    Washington Post | Ann Hornaday

    By turns funny, affecting tale. Read full review

  • 70
    Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan

    A genuinely sweet and determinedly inspirational family film that features a charming young actress in the title role. It's a successful feel-good movie, but it would make you feel even better if it didn't push quite so hard for its desired effects. Read full review

  • 70
    Variety | Justin Chang

    This earnest weepie plays like "The Karate Kid" with a pro-literacy agenda, pushing all the right emotional buttons yet hitting quite a few wrong ones in the process. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    You could be cynical about the first movie produced by the coffee colossus Starbucks. But there's nothing cynical about Akeelah's story of courage and determination. Read full review

View more reviews for Akeelah and the Bee on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 8+ Inspiring drama about a champion speller; OK for tweens.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that the movie includes mild language (the s-word) and early on, some "attitude" from the young girl at its center. But her "ghetto" vernacular is a show to try to "fit in," a thematic concern throughout the film, for the girl and adults around her. A related theme is coping with loss; a couple of sad conversations recall the deaths of loved ones (one by gun violence, another by disease), and divorce. Characters lie to protect loved ones, and must make amends. In a couple of scenes, the mother and daughter argue. A couple of women characters wear tight tops; the girl's coach has a drink one evening alone.
  • Families can talk about the importance of pursuing one's interests and dreams, especially as this can inspire collaborations. How does Akeelah's success inspire others to feel part of a group, as her spelling becomes a community project? How can you be true to lost loved ones by moving forward into the future?
The good stuff
  • message true3 Positive messages: Akeelah feels like a misfit because she's smart and tries to hide it in school, but as she excels in spelling, her family and community come together to help; coach initially hides the death of his daughter; a brief lesson offered in distinctions between Asian identities.
What to watch for
  • violence false0 Violence and scariness: Brief conversations about deaths of Akeelah's dad and her coach's daughter, one killed in neighborhood violence, another by disease; one speller's father claps his hands loudly to get his attention during an argument (Akeelah overhears and jumps at the sound); local thugs roll up like a menace in an SUV, but are instantly won over by Akeelah's project.
  • sex false0 Sexy stuff: A couple of cleavage shots; cute boy kisses Akeelah and worries, "you going to sue me for sexual harassment?" (it's a joke moment, but kids might wonder about it).
  • language false3 Language: Mild language (s-word); coach instructs Akeelah to use proper English, and not try to fit in with her friends by using slang.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Starbucks (marketing tie-in with film named in the opening credits), ESPN.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false0 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Coach has a drink while working at his desk.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Dave White

4.5

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… tons of charm … Read full review See Dave White's on MOVIENAME on Movies.com

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