Review: Whip It

Powered by IMDB

Title: Whip It
Distributor: United Artists (MGM)
Director: Drew Barrymore
Writer(s): Shauna Cross (screenplay), Shauna Cross (novel)
Staring: Ellen Page, Alia Shawkat, Kristen Wiig, Zoe Bell, Eve, Drew Barrymore, Andrew Wilson
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sexual content including crude dialogue, language and drug material.
Running Time: 111 min (1 hr and 51 min)
Synopsis: In Bodeen, Texas, an indie-rock loving misfit finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin.

Other Reviews

Critics:

Roger Ebert: 3 ½ Stars
Michael Phillips: 3 Stars
EW: Lisa Schwarzbaum: C+

Other Sites:

At The Movies: A.O. Scott: See It, Michael Phillips: See It
Rotten Tomatoes: T-Meter: 81% (Fresh), Top Critics: 83% (Fresh), RT Community: 91% (Fresh)
Metacritic: Critics: 67 out of 100, Users: 7.1 out of 10
MRQE Metric: 70: (15.1% A, 53.4% B, 31.4% C, 0.0% D, and 0.0% F)
Yahoo Movies: Critics: B Users: B+

My Review

Source Material: Based on Shauna Cross' novel Derby Girl

Acting and Dialogue: A-: There is a great ensemble cast and on top of that Ellen Page brings a new and great character to screen, that I enjoyed.

Art Direction: B+: It had good art direction. It pulled off the "rocker-chick" image which encompass the entire the film.

Cinematography: B+: I thought the the shoot choice had a good mixture of up close and personal action shots versus wide let the action unfold shots.

Direction: B-: Because Drew Barrymore is an actor herself she was able to capture that bonding quality that actors, directors tend to have. It seem that everyone involved with the film was having a good time.

Screenplay: B: The story was a bit cliché but at the same time it hit home with the teenage mind set, therefore giving some substance to the story.

Sound and Music: B: Rock and Roller Derby go hand and hand so it fits the content of the film, so that's good.

VFX: C: None to commit on

Overall: B+: I enjoyed this film and I think most of you would too, especially if you enjoy indie film as much as me.