Hula Girls (Hula garu) (2006)

50% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
82% of users liked it
(3,404 ratings)

As the Korean War draws to a close and the pressing demand for copious amounts of coal takes a sudden plunge, the remote Japanese mining town of Joban attempts to compensate for the devastating economic blow by transforming itself into a lavish Hawaiian retreat in an affectionate comedy inspired by… More As the Korean War draws to a close and the pressing demand for copious amounts of coal takes a sudden plunge, the remote Japanese mining town of Joban attempts to compensate for the devastating economic blow by transforming itself into a lavish Hawaiian retreat in an affectionate comedy inspired by real events and directed by Lee Sang-il. The year s 1965 and the changes that have swept through the outside world are finally reaching Joban. As the mineworkers are laid off and the women of the town take it upon themselves to gently nudge their once-prosperous community from the brink of economic collapse, the ancient Hawaiian art of the hula dance seems to offer the ideal means of doing so. Though highly fashionable Tokyo urbanite Madoka Hirayama (Yasuko Matsuyuki) at first seems terribly out of place when she arrives in Joban to teach local ladies how to saw their hips with authentic grace, her noble efforts soon instill her students with a newfound sense of confidence in both themselves, and their struggling community. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 50 min.
Directed By: Sang-il Lee
Written By: Sang-il Lee
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 13, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Nov 6, 2007

Critic Reviews

V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Director Lee Sang-il employs every possible cliché as he shamelessly tries to manipulate viewers' emotions.
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
The dance floor is soon covered with syrupy melodrama.
Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times
Slick cinematography makes this bland social comedy always watchable, but the movie has its insipid moments.
Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Times
Hula Girls is the latest entry in a durable subgenre about marginalized eccentrics who learn a new skill and become better, stronger people.
Aaron Hillis, Village Voice
It's all warm, well-shot, instantly forgettable, and familiar to a fault.
Richard Kuipers, Variety
Loaded with underdog heroics and bursting with youthful enthusiasm, Hula Girls may be utterly predictable but it sure is a lot of fun.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
This bitter sweet dramedy sits alongside films such as The Full Monty as it follows a group of coalminers' daughters turning into hula girls.
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher
Genuinely and cheerfully uplifting...
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
There's nothing new in this very formulaic let's-put-on-a-show drama.
Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times
An irresistible Japanese import, Hula Girls is a crowd-pleaser so comfortable with its own clichÃ (C)s that it goes down smoother than a mai tai on Maui.
Janos Gereben, Entertainment Insiders
An eminently likeable, well-made film.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
While he's coasting through on his story, [Lee] concentrates on giving his movie a great big heart. Either that, or this tired old tale simply sounds better in Japanese.
Stephen Garrett, Time Out New York
The girls face prejudice from their families, while their amateur moves frustrate the dance instructor. Will they ever triumph? Just guess.
Ted Murphy, Murphy's Movie Reviews
While the outline of the film's plot is fairly standard and predictable, director Lee Sang-il and his co-screenwriter Daisuke Habara have concocted enough obstacles ... to keep the audience's interest. When the film reaches its climax ... it arrives there
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
U.S. audiences may find themselves impatient with the leisurely way Lee -- a Japanese director of Korean descent -- lets the tale unfold.
Frank Lovece, Film Journal International
Where the filmmakers fall flat, aside from undistinguished direction and truly poor lighting and cinematography, is in making the characters such cardboard ciphers.
Rob Humanick, Slant Magazine
Steadfast tradition and encroaching progress lock horns in the surprisingly cheerful Hula Girls.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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I'm amazed that this film is already in the database. While I was watching it, I thought: "Gotta tell flixster to include this one." And here it is. Even if this weren't based on actual events, this movie would be worth watching if you enjoy dance, and… More
I'm amazed that this film is already in the database. While I was watching it, I thought: "Gotta tell flixster to include this one." And here it is. Even if this weren't based on actual events, this movie would be worth watching if you enjoy dance, and especially if you like hula. <p> The hula revolution is in full swing these days. The last time I checked, there were more than 8,000 hula halau (dance troupes) located throughout Japan. That Japan loves Hawai`i and vice versa is abundantly apparent these days, but this movie is set in 1965-66, when launching your own halau was a bit of a mysterious and perhaps perilous adventure. Surely this group was a pioneering one, and that is a story worth telling. <p> An added bonus is that the film is scored by Hawai`i ukulele legend Jake Shimabukuro <a href="http://jakeshimabukuro.com/"> http://jakeshimabukuro.com/ </a>. His soundtrack won the 2007 Japanese Academy Award for Best Sound Recording.