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So much average

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Drew Barrymore created a stunning film with Shauna Cross's script, and you would never know it was her first time directing. The characters and story are so well crafted and there's never a dull moment. I love the way this movie feels nostalgic and makes you remember that time in your life where you're trying to figure out who you are, and you have that one best friend that gets you through the tough times. I'm impressed by the actresses' skating abilities and making this all look so natural to them. Marcia Gay Harden is total perfection as Bliss Cavendar's mother, bringing such a realness to her character, and Ellen Page and Alia Shawkat have realistic chemistry that pulls you into their friendship. This isn't a raunchy movie and I find it totally enjoyable. I can watch this movie over and over and I never get sick of it - it's become a classic for sure!

Well, my 9 year old daughter is starting to play roller derby, so naturally, I had to watch this! And I'm glad I did! Great cast and fun roller derby scenes! The romance sub-plot was a total dud for me, as was having an "evil" derby nemesis, but the rest was a fun watch! Page, Wiig, Bell, and Shawkat were excellent, and Harden is always great in that hard-mom role! Side note on her, when she's on screen in her USPS shirt, she totally looks like one of my former letter carrier co-workers! Dead on! If my daughter is still into roller derby in a few, 5 ish, years, I'll definitely watch this with her. Go Hurl Scouts!!!

Released in 2009, "Whip It" was Drew Barrymore's first and (so far) only full-length film in the director's chair. Drew also co-stars, but she's a side character and non-essential to the plot.The story revolves around 17 year-old Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page), her parents (Daniel Stern & Marcia Gay Harden) and her best friend, Pash (Alia Shawkat). Bliss is involved in the world of beauty pageants due to her mother's obsession, but becomes fascinated by a group of roller derby girls while visiting nearby Austin, TX. She decides to try-out for the the Hurl Scouts."Whip It" starts out slow and only mildly interesting but it ultimately won me over. This is basically a coming-of-age drama using the roller derby as a backdrop and stage. Since Ellen Page takes center focus, and does a great job, "Whip It" should appeal to fans of Page. I'm not a fan; I can take her or leave her. Thankfully, there's enough good here to draw in other folks.I especially like the roller derby girls and their camaraderie & competition. The girls include Juliette Lewis, Kristen Wiig, Eve, Zoe Bell, Ari Graynor, Eli Bleiler and Sydney Bennett. What I love about these women is that they have womanly curves and aren't walking sticks with big breasts. Take, for instance, the so-called Manson Sisters, played by Kristen Adolfi & Rachel Piplica; both are just jaw-droppingly gorgeous throughout the film and worth the price of admission -- stunning examples of womanhood.There's a subplot about Bliss falling for a guy in a rock band (Landon Pigg) and there are other characters, like the coach, the derby announcer and the Hispanic manager of the restaurant Bliss & Pash work at (Andrew Wilson, Jimmy Fallon and Carlo Alban respectively), but this is mainly about Bliss, her family, Pash and the derby girls.FINAL SAY: The drama in this coming-of-age flick is a mixed bag; I found the love story kind of tedious but enjoyed Pash and the family dynamics of the Cavendar household. The best part, of course, is the derby action and the ravishing derby babes in all their glory.The film runs 111 minutes and was mostly filmed in Michigan with some shots of Austin, TX.GRADE: B

I'm a fairly recent convert to roller derby having found it an excellent spectator sport: simple rules, fast pace, exciting showdowns and a good balance between grace and power. So I was really looking forward to this movie and it took me some effort to get my mitts on a copy.And it's not actually bad as such; Ellen Page is cuter than a thousand Ewoks, the score is good and Barrymore is always a treat. I don't even mind the utter predictability, that's just how some movies roll, no pun intended.But it never really gripped me. The comparison to a masterpiece like Bend It Like Beckham may be a bit unfair but it's inevitable as Whip It is an almost 1:1 rip-off. But where Jess is a plausible footballer, Bliss ("Bliss"? Really?) is just not believable. She never makes us understand why she's attracted to roller derby, except as an escape from her over-the-top horrible parents and she never really manages to make the transition from meek mommy's girl to bad-ass rollergirl, not even when she pulls the ultimate empowerment trick and takes off her glasses. Her nick, Babe Ruthless remains a joke.It also remains a mystery how she suddenly becomes the fastest thing on eight wheels. There's no Rocky theme, no real struggle, it just happens. One moment she Bambi on roller skates, the next she's flying like the wind. Same thing with her team. One moment they are losers, the next moment they are kicking ass. How did that come about? Oh yeah, they suddenly decide to listen to the weirdo posing as a coach.So, at least this movie has some smoking derby action? Well, not really. I've seen more exiting footage on my local team's website and without the fistfights and the gutter moves too. And I'm from Copenhagen, for heavens sake!