Kernel Rating (out of 5): 
MPAA Rating: PG Length: 127 minutes
Age Appropriate for: 13+. The movie is rated PG and has no cursing or sexual content; a fairly innocent teenage romance is suggested. There is some crude language (jokes about urination and the implied depiction of the activity), racism, and a very thrilling shipwreck and snarling tiger that may be too scary for young children. However, its themes regarding isolation, sacrifice, and religion make the film better for older children, best for teenagers.
Director Ang Lee tries to infuse his big-screen adaptation of ‘Life of Pi’ with the same thoughtfulness of its source material, Yann Martel’s 2001 novel. But that book’s exploration of religion, faith, and the meaning of life just can’t transfer perfectly to the film medium, even though Lee hits all the right emotional notes.
By Roxana Hadadi
The novel version of “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel made me think. The film version of “Life of Pi” by Ang Lee made me sob. Both are engaging and well constructed: Martel’s original novel is a thought-provoking expression of interiority and what creates a religious identity, and Lee’s impactful, affecting film version shouldn’t be overlooked for its fantastic visuals and use of 3-D. But whereas the former challenged readers on a personal level, the latter can’t probe the inner workings of the mind. It’s a beautiful technical marvel, but it won’t reach your soul in the same way.
