The Kite Runner

Paramount Vantage | Release Date: December 14, 2007

7.8	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 92 Ratings

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DavidRDec 16, 2007

Is it just me or is Ebert giving every movie that comes out a perfect score? I understand he's happy to be back at work but this does not deserve four stars. It barely held my attention and left out some of my favorite parts of the book.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

SeriosityDec 8, 2012

Surprisingly tame. All the issues with the book persist here, but it retains few of the books strengths. It is heavy handed, sugary, mediocre and contrived.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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JonH.Apr 25, 2008

This movie is essentially a lot of nothing, compared to the book, this movie is awful

1 of 2 users found this helpful

BillyS.Dec 26, 2007

Terrific cinematography, beautiful score, a couple of strong acting performances by the two Afghan children, and a heart-wrenching story that Marc Forster directs so well (did anyone not cry in Finding Neverland?), but a lead character that Terrific cinematography, beautiful score, a couple of strong acting performances by the two Afghan children, and a heart-wrenching story that Marc Forster directs so well (did anyone not cry in Finding Neverland?), but a lead character that is so spinelessly arrogant that, without a call from his homeland, would never have sought redemption in the first place. Good movie with a terrible role model.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

ChadS.Dec 23, 2007

Our rooting interest in Amir's redemption is considerably hampered by our realization that he'll only help out his own kind. Amir(Khalid Abdalla) mulls with trepidation when he's called back home to Kabul, and accepts his Our rooting interest in Amir's redemption is considerably hampered by our realization that he'll only help out his own kind. Amir(Khalid Abdalla) mulls with trepidation when he's called back home to Kabul, and accepts his mission only after learning the truth about Hassan. Amir's act of heroism isn't entirely satisfying. As young boys, Amir should have helped Hassan, regardless of his societal status. They were friends, after all. "The Kite Runner" might be unaware that Amir is still nothing like his father; a man who was willing to take the bullet from a Russian soldier to protect some strange woman from being raped.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

JLuis_001Jan 28, 2018

This film by Marc Forster is based on a novel of the same name by author Khaled Hosseini who is of Afghan origin.
I have not read the novel but I found very interesting how the film immerses you in the day to day life of Afghanistan, also theThis film by Marc Forster is based on a novel of the same name by author Khaled Hosseini who is of Afghan origin.
I have not read the novel but I found very interesting how the film immerses you in the day to day life of Afghanistan, also the hobby that gives the title to the film and of course the work of the kid actors. However I feel that Forster was too passive in trying to portray the darkness that eventually takes over the plot.

However, I definitely recommend it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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LightsAndBulbsSep 18, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In a word: banal.

For all it's faults, The Kite Runner is a great, emotional novel, with strong characters, skilled-storytelling, and difficult, evocative scenes that, like them or not, burrow their way into your skull and do not leave. This adaptation, unfortunately, shares none of those qualities.

One of its main issues is how rushed the entire story feels. Many of the novel's most impactful moments, such as Amir's fight with Assef, feel horribly watered down, and unimpactful. They take up merely a few minutes when, in reality, they should stand as longer focal points in the film. Instead, they fail to stand out in any way, and feel about as impactful as my daily morning journey to the fridge to retrieve coffee creamer. If I were to guess, I'd say that cuts like this happened in order to make the movie less long, but honestly, I would be fine with a 2 hour plus movie if it meant pivotal scenes actually felt, well... pivotal.

Other events, like Sohrab's suicide attempt, are cut from the film completely, which is unfortunate, considering it was one of the most chillingly realistic aspects of the book. Instead, this film settles for an idealized version of Sohrab's fate, killing any sense of depth or nuance, and adding to the movie's already bland tone. On top of all that, much of the acting was frankly poor. Most of the performance's felt uninspired and wooden, especially Khalid Abdalla's. He completely failed at bringing the complexities of Amir's character to the surface, although, to be fair, the script wasn't really doing him any favors in that regard.

Stilted acting combined with all of the aforementioned cuts helped to craft a film that feels less like a passionate retelling of a classic story, and more like a late night cramming session hosted by SparkNotes.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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