Clearly there was a publicity hound somewhere inside the coach when he made his lockout a TV spectacle, but the movie avoids any such interesting shadows. full review

This is supposed to be about setting high standards, yet it's full of fudged ultimatums; in the end I couldn't be sure whether its morality was complex or just confused. full review

Saved by bursts of energy and inventiveness. full review

Carter gives every sports-drama cliche a chance to play. No bad idea is benched.

Too vicious to speak to bleeding-heart liberals, too pro-academia to speak to No Child Left Behind advocates, and too preachy to speak to youths. full review

One of those highly effective conventional pictures that remind us that conventionality isn't always a bad thing. full review

The appeal lies in the genre's mixed marriage of liberal sensibilities to conservative values, a happy American union that simultaneously acknowledges the fact of social injustice while insisting on the need for individual responsibility. full review

The basketball footage is often thrilling, the camera whooshing through the action like a darting point guard. full review

No one will be surprised to learn that Jackson's Coach Carter is a shining slab of steel-rod charisma. full review

Features bursts of humor and electrifying energy offset by speechifying and a dud of a subplot. full review

No arguing with the message: The movie's eager to tell its audience (especially young viewers) that there's life beyond a basketball court, and they ought to prepare for it.

The movie may consist of formulaic elements, but it excels on the strength of its cast and the sincerity of its message. full review

The inspirational tale becomes just another by-the-numbers, cliche-ridden sports film.

By the time you leave, Jackson will have you believing that his Coach Carter is a true original. full review

It's not only a sports movie with the usual big games and important shots, but also a coach movie, with inspiring locker room speeches and difficult moral decisions. full review

The kind of boot-strap-pulling, tear-duct-tickling, I-am-Spartacus-crowing movie-on-a-mission that might rankle more cynical movie goers but sets hearts aflutter for most everyone else. full review

In this film, basketball is not a metaphor; it's a hard-played game that requires skill, conditioning, intelligence and effective teamwork. full review

While there's no denying its positive message, there's also no denying that it offers absolutely nothing fresh or innovative.

Jackson plays the coach with wit and authority. His imposing presence ensures that he won't have to take much guff, even from the toughest punk on the team. full review