★ 6 / 10
Movies about underdogs overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds often
Brent Marchant
Movies about underdogs overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds often have a relatively easy time of winning over viewers thanks to their inspiring narratives.…
Movies about underdogs overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds often have a relatively easy time of winning over viewers thanks to their inspiring narratives. This is especially true for fact-based stories, as well as films that have a particularly strong family-friendly vibe associated with them. At the same time, though, these productions also run the risk of overdoing it when it comes to these qualities, and such is very much the case here. The film tells the tale of the Afghan Dreamers Robotics Team, a quartet of passionate, inventive high school girls (Amber Afzali, Nina Hosseinzadeh, Sara Malal Rowe, Mariam Saraj) who achieved wide acclaim for their ingenious mechanical creations. They were inspired by their coach and mentor, Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri), an Afghan computer coder who made it her mission to introduce the young women of her country to the opportunities available through a pioneering technology little known to them. And so, with the assistance of her brother, Ali (Noorin Gulamgaus), a generous computer entrepreneur, Samir Sinha (Ali Fazal), and other assorted benefactors, Mahboob built a team that successfully participated in a number of international robotic competitions. Achieving that objective wasn’t easy, however, given the many challenges the Dreamers faced in terms of finding funding, acquiring materials to build their creations, and overcoming resistance from the chauvinistic Afghan male population who generally didn’t believe that their country’s women were worthy of being educated, let alone be allowed to engage in activities like this. Writer-director Bill Guttentag’s latest feature manages to check off all the requisite boxes for a film of this stripe, but it frequently tends to go overboard in delivering its messages, stressing points that are easy to grasp without having to browbeat audiences. What’s more, the approach taken in assembling this release is far from original, rigidly following an outline that’s highly formulaic, predictable and by the numbers, leaving little to the imagination, even without having knowledge of the particulars of this saga in advance. To its credit, the picture makes some fine, uplifting points about commitment, determination and innovation, as well as the value of equal educational opportunities for women. It also features some clever cinematography, an eclectic soundtrack and commendable performances by a crop of largely newcomers. And, as evidenced here, the impact of Mahboob’s efforts to foster women’s academic and vocational aspirations was truly significant, having planted seeds of change to shift the culture during the years between the overthrow of the repressive Taliban regime and its subsequent return to power. Sadly, though, as undeniably important as this story is, it genuinely deserved a better film than what has been presented through this sorely underwhelming effort.
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★ 8 / 10
Great story! Compelling characters
tigerlily62
I really enjoyed Rule Breakers. The story and the characters were compelling. It gave a real human face to the good and then bad guys. All of the characters…
I really enjoyed Rule Breakers. The story and the characters were compelling. It gave a real human face to the good and then bad guys. All of the characters are well developed and bring their personal outlook and the experiences that shaped them. It's nice to see a movie with a solid plot, whose hope, balanced with grave challeneges tell the story without a lot of gratuitous violence.I was surprised that there was a lot more to see in the movie aftee what seemed like a generous trailer. The sets were well designed. It was well shot although the scenes that were intentionally shot as if they came from a cellphone wobbled more than I cared for. Otherwise. All good.
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★ 8 / 10
Everyone should see this!
skylerkennethkidd
I had not heard a single thing about this movie but saw it was playing. I watched the trailer and it looked pretty good. I never expected it to be as amazing…
I had not heard a single thing about this movie but saw it was playing. I watched the trailer and it looked pretty good. I never expected it to be as amazing as it was! This story deserved to be told, and it connects people to Afghanistan in a totally different way than most are used to. I feel it's a must see, for the whole family. My heart hurts for the way they have lived for so long, even worse since 2021. Those children, women, people, deserve so much better! We can always be blessed that great minds can connect the entire world in a way that most people can never connect too. Thanks for making this movie, ill be suggesting it to everyone I talk too!Watched at AMC on 3-8-2025 with Nicole.
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80%
TOMATOMETER
· 35 reviews
96%
AUDIENCE
· 250 ratings
6.6/10
1.3K
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Funny how the woman's rights activists in the west, never speak of the atrocities of woman in the middle east. Easier to try and manufacture mythical inequalities in the UK/US while sitting at starbucks drinking their $18 coffee than face reality head on. (: