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Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: The surfer's story is so made-for-cinema that a complete wipeout seems almost impossible. And yet the filmmakers come pretty close. Read more
Kathleen Murphy, MSN Movies: Too bad that no-talent director Sean McNamara and a committee of screenwriters have dumbed down Soul Surfer to a simplistic mishmash of youth fellowship homily and Hawaii tourism ad. Read more
Andy Webster, New York Times: As a portrait of a spirited, resilient athlete, the movie succeeds best, unafraid to face its heroine's daunting challenges directly. Read more
Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: What does it mean that this sports melodrama made for tweens shows more craft and heart than most of the year's grown-up Hollywood fare? Read more
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: Its bubbling optimism and spectacular scenery are hard not to like. Read more
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: You wonder why this movie isn't a documentary, rather than a synthetic feature film with the heroine's arm digitally removed. Read more
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: Somewhere not far beneath the glossy pop skin of Soul Surfer, the true story of Bethany Hamilton is struggling to get out. Read more
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: The best moments come when Robb's all-purpose toughness experiences vulnerable doubt. These moments are flickers, but they're bright and human. Read more
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader: AnnaSophia Robb is too subdued as the teenage heroine; one might expect more affect from a young woman fighting to overcome disability and return to competitive surfing. Read more
Glenn Whipp, Chicago Tribune: That "Soul Surfer" rates as a giant leap for this team speaks well about the conviction the movie's actors bring to the material as well as the respect afforded the Hamilton family and their faith. Read more
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: Hamilton is played, blandly, by Anna Sophia Robb, and her devoted parents, less bland, are played by Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt. The surfing footage, much of it shot off the coast of Kauai, is not bland at all. Read more
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: It's Bethany and Alana's friendship - its sturdiness and vulnerability, its laughs and sincere apologies - that rules the day. Read more
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Soul Surfer, while formulaic in design, is an authentic and heartfelt movie. Read more
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: An inspiring true-life story gets a less-than-inspired film dramatization. Read more
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: For plenty of family viewers, this film will catch a wave. Read more
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: A by-the-numbers biopic about young surfer Bethany Hamilton. Read more
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: Shamelessly pandering to the elusive Christian family audience, a committee of 18 producers and seven writers has removed nearly every trace of grit from this airbrushed portrait. Read more
David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer: Just goes to show that the Gospel isn't always right. Faith clearly does not assure a good movie. Read more
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The flaw in the storytelling strategy of "Soul Surfer" is that it doesn't make Bethany easy to identify with. She's almost eerie in her optimism. Her religious faith is so unshaken, it feels taken for granted. Read more
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Though it flirts with saccharine Sunday-school uplift, there's a redeeming core of sincerity in this story of real-life tragedy and perseverance. Read more
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: It's a compelling tale of surf and survival. Read more
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: An inspiring tale, even when true, doesn't necessarily make for an inspiring movie. Read more
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: Given the heroic subject, the movie is as thrilling as a dish of rice pudding, a made-for-TV-style effort that rides a wave of religious sentiment into theatres. Read more
Claudia Puig, 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. Read more
Rob Nelson, Variety: The true story of one-armed surfer girl Bethany Hamilton keeps its balance in Soul Surfer, a kind-hearted coming-of-age drama with killer waves. Read more
Aaron Hillis, Village Voice: Nearly every conflict is built on market-tested platitudes of empowerment and registers as insincere. Read more
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: The swells of inspirational storytelling sometimes threaten to swamp the underlying inspirational story. Read more
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: Soul Surfer takes that story of complex emotions, determination and faith and turns it into overly simplistic mush. Read more