The Kite Runner: DVD Review (2008)

Follows the writer Amir (Khalid Abdalla), an Afghan living in the U.S., who must deal with the decisions he made in his past, when he deceived his best friend, Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada).

Though Amir loved Hassan--initially, they are inseparable, often flying their kites in neighborhood competitions--Amir couldn’t handle the fact that Hassan possessed the sort of integrity and courage he himself didn’t have.

And so, when Hassan is raped by bullies, Amir does nothing but silently retreat as the act plays itself out.

It’s in this extended flashback that "The Kite Runner" is at its best and most believable. The child actors are superb, as is Homayoun Ershadi as Amir’s father. But when the movie switches to the present and Amir finds himself traveling back to the now Taliban-ruled Kabul to retrieve Hassan’s son, the plot contrivances hit hard, so much so that they detract from an otherwise engaging story.

Rated PG-13. Grade: B-

Read the full, unedited review here.