The Tiger Rising

Stodgy storytelling... plays out with no mystery, ambiguity or subtlety.

Too bad the rest of the movie isn't as captivating as the big, beautiful cat at its center.

The metaphors are so obvious that the film becomes trapped in its own cage of archetypes and clichés...

Director/screenwriter Giarratana occasionally summons up a lovely moment, although the overall tone is inconsistent.

Exceptional special effects lend a touch of magic that both softens some of the harsher material and helps keep us inside the children's point of view.

Even younger, less critical audiences will be bored by The Tiger Rising.

Two kids find a caged tiger and vow to protect it. Dennis Quaid has a great cameo as the villain in this enjoyable family film.

[The Tiger Rising is] as unimaginative and perfunctory as adaptations come.

The whole thing is well-intentioned and everyone makes the best of the material.

While great stories are always great, good books don't always translate into good movies -- and that's the case here.