I’ve been checking up on some of the reviews of the Peaceful Warrior movie and they seem pretty mixed, as author Dan Millman said over on our Celebrity at Work blog. However, the audiences were not so critical. Here are a few snippets:

“By turns a riveting study of the world of competitive gymnastics, a parable for an alternative vision for today’s society, and a study in the psychology of mentoring, ‘Peaceful Warrior’ is a satisfying movie-going experience, with or without ‘the message’.”
– Les Wright, CULTUREVULTURE.NET

“While speaking with Millman recently about Peaceful Warrior, the author confirmed that my Chicken Soup Theory had severely plagued the many versions of script.”
– Kevin Biggers, FILMSTEW.COM

“I found some enjoyment by watching it as though it were an updated, Americanized version of some 1980 Hong Kong movie about training at the Shaolin Temple — which it pretty much is, come to think of it.”
– Andy Klein, LOS ANGELES CITYBEAT

“This woozily uplifting saga is big on homilies and deficient in just about everything else.”
– Peter Rainer, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

“The filmmakers can’t be faulted for trying; it’s a decent effort, but nevertheless misses out in both the mind and body categories, and rather overdoes the spirit.”
– Bridget Byrne, BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE

“The sometimes dreamy pace of Peaceful Warrior is offset by good rapport among Nolte, co-star Scott Mechlowicz and an engaging ensemble cast.”
– David Germain, ASSOCIATED PRESS

“Peaceful Warrior begins promisingly, with welcome doses of quirky humor holding the syrupy bathos at bay, yet it ultimately becomes just another average inspirational, sports-themed flick, albeit with an overlay of New Age philosophizing.”
– Timothy Knight, REEL.COM

“It may often seem like an extra-pretentious Karate Kid for grown-ups, but Warrior’s soul lessons go much deeper, to universally vital places.”
– Bob Strauss, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS

“Strong performances by Scott Mechlowicz as Millman and Nick Nolte as the mysterious mechanic who changes his life ground the film in effective drama.”
– Sheri Linden, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

“The film is better than it has any right to be, considering the prosaic source.”
– Ruthe Stein, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

Well, critics tend toward cynicism and they did their job well. Readers of the book may hold different views. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s released here in England.