Critic Reviews
Coach Carter (2005) Rank 5 Reviews
Expert Review Summary
based on (218) reviews
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3BlackChicks Review (Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel)
Cinema in Focus (Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin)
Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Portrays high school basketball as a means to an end, not an end in itself. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
CineMe (Daniel Meyer)
PM Media Review (Patrick Vu)
Directed by Save the Last Dance's, Thomas Carter (no relation), Coach Carter thankfully doesn't suffer from Dance's hokiness and is a solid sophomore effort by Carter on the big screen. This is a film that will inspire you to not only hit the boards ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at PM Media Review (Patrick Vu)
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)
The young cast is more sure of themselves shooting hoops than showing emotion, but Jackson holds the screen so well that he gives them extra focus and presence. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)
CineMe (Daniel Meyer)
The Cinema Source (John Disogra)
Now Playing Magazine (Scott Collura)
Coach Carter is like the coach’s players themselves: there’s more to the film than first meets the eye... ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Now Playing Magazine (Scott Collura)
The Cinema Source (Zak Santucci)
Coach Carter isn't a great movie, it isn't a bad movie, but it's a good movie. And one sign of a good movie is being really, really long and not feeling that way. Over two hours into the movie and neither I nor a very young crowd was yawning or wishing ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at The Cinema Source (Zak Santucci)
The King's Room (Clyde Ayles)
Put the
movie "Lean On Me" and put it on the basketball court and you have "Coach
Carter". Now this is not a bad thing, both films are very good. But thanks to
SAMUEL L. JACKSON who plays real life coach Ken Carter, who in ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at The King's Room (Clyde Ayles)
The Cinema Source (Zak Santucci)
The Cinema Source (John Disogra)
Sam Jackson is validated in this film as an actor who can take any movie and make it entertaining. He always carries that unpredictable insanity to every part which sprinkles just enough spice to give flavor to even the blandest movie. Yes, Coach ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at The Cinema Source (John Disogra)
Cinema Source (Zak Santucci)
San Francisco Chronicle (Carla Meyer)
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Winning in here is the key to winning out there. - Richmond High Oilers Head Coach Ken Carter Having the courage of one's convictions – and acting upon them – is a rare commodity in the world today. Making substantive change is nearly ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)
Sammy L. turns this conventional schoolteacher flick into The Jackson Show, and it's all the better for it. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)
IGN Movies (Larry Carroll)
Inspirational, entertaining and gripping. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at IGN Movies (Larry Carroll)
Movie Marshal (--)
Nehring The Edge
DVD Review e-zine
The Boston Phoenix
Village Voice (David Blaylock)
DVD Times (Daniel Stephens)
dvdfuture.com (Randy Spiros)
JackassCritics.com (Cinema Guru Boy)
ninth symphony films
Michael Dequina
But then it could be argued that the hoops action is almost incidental in this factbased story, for the title character, Richmond High School (though actually filmed at my alma mater, Long Beach Polytechnic High School, which somehow became the goto ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Michael Dequina
One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
UpcomingDiscs.com (Brendan Surpless)
There are way too many problems with COACH CARTER to call it great, but it certainly has its heart in the right place at the right time. The very first immediate problem is the script of the film. A lot of the dialogue feels like it has been overly ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at UpcomingDiscs.com (Brendan Surpless)
Harvey S. Karten
"Coach Carter" is better than it should be, mostly a retread of just about every sports movie from "The Babe Ruth Story" through "Waterboy" and beyond. You won't find the wit or special charm of Bernie Mac's performance in "Mr 3000," but here it is only ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Harvey S. Karten
The Sydney Morning Herald
This is a film inspired by the real-life heroics of basketball coach Ken Carter, who made national news by benching his entire squad for academic ineligibility. The film starts with Carter (Samuel L Jackson) being offered the basketball job from his old ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at The Sydney Morning Herald
DVD Clinic ("Quigles")
In the poor area of Richmond, California, Ken Carter takes charge as a basketball coach, and fights his way to transform a team of rowdy boys into a team of accomplished men. Based on a true story. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at DVD Clinic ("Quigles")
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
It's curious how movies, in the course of telling stories that undoubtedly have unique components, homogenize them.
"Coach Carter" is the true story, so to speak, of the 1998-99 Oilers basketball season at Richmond (Calif.) High School, just ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
Tony Medley
Throughout the film Kyra is
pregnant. I didn't like the fact that two black high school students had
conceived an out of wedlock baby and that they just took it matter of
factly. But what really got my goat was when Kyra ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Tony Medley
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Bob Townsend)
Thank goodness then for go-to guy Jackson. He takes what could have been a cardboard cliche role and puts flesh on it with his flamboyant intelligence. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Bob Townsend)
Steve Rhodes
As you'll no doubt guess, the kids will eventually rise to the occasion after many false starts. The biggest surprise comes when the coach finds his rules are being systematically violated by most of the team. In the hopes that you haven't heard the ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Steve Rhodes
Newark Star-Ledger (Lisa Rose)
The movie may consist of formulaic elements, but it excels on the strength of its cast and the sincerity of its message. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Newark Star-Ledger (Lisa Rose)
Palo Alto Weekly (Tyler Hanley)
A cinematic slam-dunk. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Palo Alto Weekly (Tyler Hanley)
Christianity Today (Mark Moring)
Its main flaws are an overabundance of sports-movie clichés and hackneyed phrases, but at least the final game doesn't have a predictable ending; I'll give it that much. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Christianity Today (Mark Moring)
Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)
Fairly standard sports-movie fare but well-acted, suitably gritty, lightly comic in the right places and sweet without being saccharine. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Contra Costa Times (Mary F. Pols)
San Antonio Express-News (Larry Ratliff)
With the possible exception of Tommy Lee Jones, no one is better suited to dish out stone-faced, my-way-or-the-highway discipline than Jackson. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at San Antonio Express-News (Larry Ratliff)
Sacramento Bee (Dixie Reid)
Nobody gives a more powerful locker room speech than Samuel L. Jackson, while decked out in spiffy suits and flashy neckties. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Sacramento Bee (Dixie Reid)
Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)
With his steely, don't-mess-with-me aura, Jackson is ideally cast as Carter. When he blows his whistle and demands that everyone do wind sprints, you might think he means you, too. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)
Capital Times (Madison, WI) (Rob Thomas)
Aside from maybe "Friday Night Lights," I can't think of another recent sports movie that dared to suggest athletic achievement isn't a worthy goal in and of itself. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Capital Times (Madison, WI) (Rob Thomas)
WaffleMovies.com (Willie Waffle)
very good film with the kind of message people need to hear more often, especially teens and spoiled athletes (maybe Randy Moss and Shaun Alexander could see the movie). ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at WaffleMovies.com (Willie Waffle)
New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)
By the time you leave, Jackson will have you believing that his Coach Carter is a true original. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)
Dallas Morning News (Philip Wuntch)
Coach Carter will be greeted with reviews that overflow with sports metaphors. Let's just say that the movie scores solidly. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Dallas Morning News (Philip Wuntch)
Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
In this film, basketball is not a metaphor; it's a hard-played game that requires skill, conditioning, intelligence and effective teamwork. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
Jackson's ... fire-and-brimstone delivery adds a much-needed edge to the inspirational cliches. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
Entertain Your Brain! - Review
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Tracy Allerton)
Samuel L. Jackson, who has pretty much been swaggering through recent roles, straightens up and brings a steely, dignified strength to the title role. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Tracy Allerton)
Newsday (John Anderson)
For all Coach Carter's moralizing, it is an eminently palatable drama, and Samuel L. Jackson -- who has certainly been known to take nobility to the nth degree -- is first-rate as Carter. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Newsday (John Anderson)
Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
A rather exceptionally counter-cultural "teen movie"...raises authentic youth concerns and answers them with convincing integrity. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)
No arguing with the message: The movie's eager to tell its audience (especially young viewers) that there's life beyond a basketball court, and they ought to prepare for it. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)
Mr. Brown's Movies (Michael Dequina)
There's no small pleasure in seeing a well-worn tale told with class and style. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Mr. Brown's Movies (Michael Dequina)
Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
The strength of Jackson's performance overcomes the one-dimensionality and formulaic nature of the script. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
Reno Gazette-Journal (Forrest Hartman)
The cast does its job, but the overly familiar screenplay is a problem. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Reno Gazette-Journal (Forrest Hartman)
Entertainment Spectrum (Vince Koehler)
Put this movie on your must see list and enjoy a truly uplifting sports story. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Entertainment Spectrum (Vince Koehler)
Baltimore Sun (--)
Reel.com
An earnest inspirational drama that mostly transcends its formulaic trappings, thanks to Samuel L. Jackson's commanding performance, Coach Carter has crowd-pleaser written all over it. This fact-based story about a high school basketball coach's ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Reel.com
DVD Talk (Scott Weinberg)
OK, so it's not about to win any points for originality, but Coach Carter does have one thing that other basketball movies do not: Sam Jackson. I mean, hell, didn't they make pretty much the exact same movie a few years back -- with Rhea Perlman as the ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at DVD Talk (Scott Weinberg)
Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)
Rich Gonzalez, Robert Ri'Chard, Antwon Tanner, Samuel L. Jackson and Nana Gbewonyo in Coach CarterHigh school basketball gets the Friday Night Lights treatment with this character-driven portrayal of the 1999 Richmond, Calif., team and its controversial ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Palo Alto Online (Tyler Hanley)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Enjoyable, well made drama that manages to avoid some of the usual clichés and features a terrific performance from Samuel L. Jackson.Coach Carter is "inspired by" the true story of high school coach Ken Carter, who made headlines by benching his ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
ShowBIZ Data
Critics have a name for movies like Coach Carter, A.O. Scott in the New York Times indicates. It's the "inspirational coach drama," and they pretty much follow the same formula. "It's amazing how many games are decided by a dramatic shot at the final ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at ShowBIZ Data
Philadelphia Inquirer
When you hear the expression "textbook game," think of Ken Carter, the high school basketball coach who believes that student-athletes are scholars first and jocks second. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer
Empire Magazine [UK]
On paper a routine sports yarn. On screen, thanks to Jackson refusing to phone it in, far more satisfying than you might expect. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Empire Magazine [UK]
The Movie Chicks
Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) played high school basketball in Richmond, California, and made All-American. Years later, he agrees to come back to his old school and coach the failing basketball program, but only if he gets to do things his way. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at The Movie Chicks
Bullz-Eye.com
Ultimately, Coach Carter was the one man that saved these guys from becoming another statistic. In a school system that graduates less than 50% of its students annually, and where about one student per classroom goes on to secondary education, every ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Bullz-Eye.com
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Samuel L. Jackson made news last week by refusing to co-star with 50 Cent in a movie based on the rapper's life. He not only refused, but did it publicly, even though the film is to be ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Empire Magazine [UK]
On paper a routine sports yarn. On screen, thanks to Jackson refusing to phone it in, far more satisfying than you might expect. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Empire Magazine [UK]
Parent Previews
Based on a true story, Coach Carter is a good reality check for teens (and some parents). With only miniscule numbers of high school athletes making it to the big leagues, emphasizing the student part of student-athlete may be the best ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Parent Previews
filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
Even those unfamiliar with real-life high school basketball coach Ken Carter might find familiar elements in the inspirational drama based on his achievements. After all, how many different ways can you tell the story of a coach who inherits a team torn ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
Boston Herald (Stephen Schaefer)
DVD-Dweeb.Com (Oliver Korioth)
Blogcritics - DVD review (Matt Paprocki)
Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
Reviewguy Online (Sean Chandler)
Tiscali UK
There's little original about Coach Carter. The story of an inspirational schoolteacher who elevates his underachieving pupils to hitherto undreamed of heights has been told many times before in such films as Dead Poets Society, Dangerous Minds and, more ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Tiscali UK
Reel Movie Critic (George & Pam Singleton)
Inspired by the true story of Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson), a high school basketball coach in the tough San Francisco suburb of Richmond, this film captures the spirit too many communities in this country. A place where too many kids are preparing to ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Reel Movie Critic (George & Pam Singleton)
The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
JaxMovies (Sean Conover)
3 Black Chicks ("The Diva")
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
The Z Review (Chris Wood)
London Times (James Christopher)
3 Black Chicks ("The Diva")
Christian Spotlight on the Movies
DVD Town (Justin Cleveland)
digitallyOBSESSED.com (Nate Meyers)
The Cranky Critic (Chuck Schwartz)
Premiere Magazine (Sara Brady)
The Red Right Hand (Matt Stogdon)
I've got to say this before we kick this review into motion: I am not a basketball fan, I took a stab at it in high school and got trounced often (which is odd because my figure denotes that I should be good at it) I've attempted to watch it on occasion ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at The Red Right Hand (Matt Stogdon)
Mediasearch, Australia
Black Flix (Laurence Washington)
The Trades (Jim Pappas)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
I'll admit, I have a soft spot for feel-good, inspirational sports films, but Coach Carter didn't quite have the stuff to win me over. This is a film without many surprises, going through predictable motions in the most formulaic of ways, and takes its s ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
PopMatters (Cynthia Fuchs)
When Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) first arrives at Richmond high school to take over the basketball team, the retiring coach looks relieved. And if Carter doesn't quite know what he's in for, you have a slight idea, because you know the Oilers' recent ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at PopMatters (Cynthia Fuchs)
The Phantom Tollbooth
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
Capable new performers surround Jackson, including young men who play a believable brand of high-flying basketball. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
Slant Magazine - DVD Review
DVD Verdict (David Johnson)
MovieFreak.com (Sara M. Fetters)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
Entertainment Weekly
In Coach Carter, Samuel L. Jackson plays one of those sternly compassionate inner-city teacher-demigods who have been a staple of movies for half a century, ever since Glenn Ford took over the leather-jacketed class of The Blackboard Jungle (1955). ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Entertainment Weekly
The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
The film was predestined to be generic: The writers, Mark Schwahn and John Gatins, are responsible for writing "The Perfect ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
moviereview (Colin Fraser)
Close-up Film (Martyn Bamber)
The Flipcritic
Team sport movies follow a tried and true formula: (1) They present players not winning as much as they’d like; (2) employ an inspirational leader who teaches them valuable lessons about life and the sport they love; and (3) have them improve ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at The Flipcritic
Pajiba (Dustin Rowles)
Dallas Observer (Bill Gallo)
Reel Talk (Betty Jo Tucker)
Spirituality & Practice (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
Jigsaw Lounge (Neil Young)
Reel.com (Tim Knight)
Reeling Reviews (Robin and Laura Clifford)
The QNetwork Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Reel.com DVD review (Tim Knight)
Zertinet Movies Review
The Onion A.V. Club
CineScene.com (Shari L. Rosenblum)
Film Freak Central
JWR (S. James Wegg)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
Everyday, in quiet unsung ways, quality people risk their own sanity and comfort to help others improve themselves. These people expand their lives with greater struggles, but also greater rewards. Usually their accomplishments, their positive ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Hollywood Report Card (Ross Anthony)
MovieFreak.com (Steve Tradd)
The movie is based on the incredible true story of Coach Ken Carter and his team of misfits turned basketball stars. We are introduced to the poverty stricken Richmond high school in Richmond, California. Right away it is obvious that this is a place ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at MovieFreak.com (Steve Tradd)
Steve Rhodes <Steve.Rhodes@internetreviews.com>
Coach Carter's drive to be "beyond basketball" is so urgent, the film is less like the controversial, reallife episode it's based on and more like what can happen to good material in the hands of an average filmmaker.Ken Carter is a businessman who ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Steve Rhodes <Steve.Rhodes@internetreviews.com>
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
A relatively new dramatic subgenre that emerged in the late 1980s as a feel-good antidote to media stories and films about existential despair in the 'hood, inspirational coach/teacher films are almost always based on a true story (if it they were made ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Bucket Reviews (Danny Baldwin)
Sports movies are, in their nature, formulaic. I can usually deal with this, but by the end of Coach Carter, which is, surely enough, "based on true events," my patience had worn thin and I was about ready to smack myself across the face. It is really a ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Bucket Reviews (Danny Baldwin)
Three Movie Buffs (Scott Nash)
Despite the bluntness of its weapons, Coach Carter does manage to inspire, aided by the fact that it's based on a true story. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Scott Nash)
MovieMaze (Thomas Straßer)
ShowBIZ Data (--)
Empire Magazine (--)
Film Threat (S. James Wegg)
Thomas Carter ... produces a film that sizzles on the court, but loses heat in the sub-plots and backstory. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Film Threat (S. James Wegg)
Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Jackson plays the coach with wit and authority. His imposing presence ensures that he won't have to take much guff, even from the toughest punk on the team. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Netflix (James Rocchi)
High school basketball is more than a game in this satisfying flick topped by Samuel L. Jackson's easy-to-watch lead performance. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Netflix (James Rocchi)
filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
Utilizes an alternating formula of motivational speeches and current hip-hop tracks meant to sell Coach Carter soundtracks. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
[Jackson] is, of course, born to shout things at teenagers on basketball courts and he delivers all the time-honoured usual speeches with his customary brilliance ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Samuel L. Jackson plays the real-life coach of a high school basketball team in this solid, unsurprising sports drama. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at New York Times (A.O. Scott)
TV Guide's Movie Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Delivers its commendable message with affecting eloquence. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Des Moines Register (Jeffrey Bruner)
Filled with cliches, a run-of-the-mill screenplay and the groan-inducing MTV Films formula. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Des Moines Register (Jeffrey Bruner)
Orlando Weekly (Lindy T. Shepherd)
The surprises come in filmmaker Thomas Carter's refusal to wholly give in to clichés. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Orlando Weekly (Lindy T. Shepherd)
cymovies.tk (Cyrus Baetz)
It’s not about the movie, it’s about the message, but I can honestly say the movie is pretty good too. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at cymovies.tk (Cyrus Baetz)
Chicago Tribune (Sid Smith)
Wolfpack Productions (Sujit 'Chief' Chawla)
I don't remember the last time an audience clapped so hard for a fake basketball game. Anytime a game was being played on screen, the crowd I was with was cheering right along with the extras on camera. The basketball scenes were filmed pretty well and I ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Wolfpack Productions (Sujit 'Chief' Chawla)
DigitalVD.de (Carsten Scheibe / Typemania)
Boxoffice Magazine
Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
[Carter's] selfless actions against a failed education system register even when the movie surrounding him turns on itself. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Each of the side stories is played out in excruciating detail and seems to exist in entirely different movies, all of which will be tied up into bows by the end. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
While this sports drama does have some good things to say about education and athletics — in particular, its views on the concept of "student athletes" — it continues driving its message home with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City
San Francisco Chronicle (Carla Meyer)
Features bursts of humor and electrifying energy offset by speechifying and a dud of a subplot. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Carla Meyer)
eFilmCritic Reviews
I imagine screenwriters Mark Schwan (The Perfect Score, “One Tree Hillâ€) and John Gatins (Hard Ball, Summer Catch) had a whole bunch of post-it notes in which they jotted down every life lesson they could think of in about, oh, 15 minutes, and then ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at eFilmCritic Reviews
Denver Post (Michael Booth)
Clearly there was a publicity hound somewhere inside the coach when he made his lockout a TV spectacle, but the movie avoids any such interesting shadows. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Denver Post (Michael Booth)
Globe and Mail (Rick Groen)
The appeal lies in the genre's mixed marriage of liberal sensibilities to conservative values, a happy American union that simultaneously acknowledges the fact of social injustice while insisting on the need for individual responsibility. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Globe and Mail (Rick Groen)
Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
Journal News (Westchester, NY) (Kevin Canfield)
New York Post (Debra Birnbaum)
The inspirational tale becomes just another by-the-numbers, cliché-ridden sports film. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at New York Post (Debra Birnbaum)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
The main problem with Coach Carter can be summed up simply: too much sermonizing. In a way, it's hard to fault the film, because its heart is in the right place. The movie wants to impress upon teenagers that education is the first step on the path to emp ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Cinema Signals by The Filmiliar Cineaste
Kvikmyndir.com (--)
Austin Chronicle (Marrit Ingman)
This b-ball drama deserves high marks for its unimpeachable intentions – "Part of growing up is making your own decisions and living with the consequences," the script reminds us – and there are worse things for MTV Films to do with its deep pockets ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marrit Ingman)
USA Today (Mike Clark)
Nothing but the coach's gutsy move and the fact that it really happened distinguishes this movie from a litany of past basketball dramas. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at USA Today (Mike Clark)
Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)
God love Coach Carter and what he's done to improve real kids' educations. But movies shouldn't feel like school, even when their subject is learning. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)
Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
Like an Afterschool Special on steroids. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
Kansas City Star (Eric Melin)
If not for the commanding presence of Samuel L. Jackson in the title role, this paint-by-numbers sports movie wouldn't have anything going for it. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Kansas City Star (Eric Melin)
Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
It also helps that the film's based on real events, which gives it the authenticity its superficial script lacks. There are extremely important issues lurking in here that seriously need examining, and while the film sidesteps the story's true grit, it ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
I'll admit, I have a soft spot for feel-good, inspirational sports films, but Coach Carter didn't quite have the stuff to win me over. This is a film without many surprises, going through predictable motions in the most formulaic of ways, and takes its s ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Boston Globe (Wesley Morris)
How do you put this message across without it seeming medicinal? Sure, MTV is among the movie's producers, but what 11th grader wants to spend a Friday night being hit with such a blunt instrument? ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Boston Globe (Wesley Morris)
Seattle Times (Erik Lundegaard)
Must decency be dull? ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Seattle Times (Erik Lundegaard)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Paul Doro)
The man himself and what he accomplishes take a back seat to unnecessary subplots that drag down the movie. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Paul Doro)
Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
The movie's moral messages are all on target. Too bad the movie is much, much too long and Jackson gives one of his dullest performances ever. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Director Thomas Carter likes message movies. In his career, he has helmed at least two others: Swing Kids and Save the Last Dance. But Coach Carter is by ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) (Mark Collette)
He's the Good Coach; he knows these young men will lead good lives as long as he doesn't relent. Odd then, that the end doesn't seem like the result of a lot of hard work. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) (Mark Collette)
Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
The movie's 'message' -- life is more than just sports -- is delivered with the delicacy of a piano dropped from a fifth-story window. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
La Presse, Montréal (--)
efilmcritic.com (Peter Sobczynski)
Los Angeles Times (Carina Chocano)
If you've spent a week with CBS' prime-time lineup, you've heard this tune a million times. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Los Angeles Times (Carina Chocano)
Detroit News (Tom Long)
While there's no denying its positive message, there's also no denying that it offers absolutely nothing fresh or innovative. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Detroit News (Tom Long)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Despite its punishing length (135 minutes), this afternoon-TV special trying to pass as a real movie earns an extra half star solely for Samuel L. Jackson, who brings his usual fire to the role of Ken Carter -- a real-life high-school basketball coach ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
EDGE Boston (David Foucher)
Even Samuel L. Jackson’s performance can’t save this glorified press release from its “been there, done that” fate. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at EDGE Boston (David Foucher)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Carter gives every sports-drama cliche a chance to play. No bad idea is benched. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Boxoffice Magazine (Tim Cogshell)
Utterly intolerable with its indulgence in inner-city stereotypes, overt preaching and simple antidotes. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Boxoffice Magazine (Tim Cogshell)
Las Vegas Mercury (Anthony Del Valle)
When critics join in accepting this junk, is it any wonder few directors bother with fresh visions? ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Las Vegas Mercury (Anthony Del Valle)
Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)
No one will be surprised to learn that Jackson's Coach Carter is a shining slab of steel-rod charisma. ...read the complete Coach Carter movie review at Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)
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