Chang of "Variety" commented that it "plays like "The Karate Kid" with a pro-literacy agenda, pushing all the right emotional buttons yet hitting quite a few wrong ones in the process". The "Evening Chronicle"s review said it "conceals few narrative surprises" but contended that Atchison is also able to "defy our expectations". Turan of the "Los Angeles Times" criticized that the film "telegraphs its plot"; however, he praised it as "genuinely sweet and determinedly inspirational". "PopMatters"s Cynthia Fuchs stated it is formulaic as it has some "conventions that make so many other genre films feel stale", but that it "torques them slightly", emphasizing the "intellectual activities" Akeelah gets involved with. Furthermore, the film was described as "derivatively entertaining in a feel-good sort of way" by Rick Groen in an article for "The Globe and Mail". Ingman of "The Austin Chronicle" described it as a typical sports film and felt it was heavy-handed at times. However, she praised it for its themes and called the film a "houghtful, engaging" one and said it has a "cross-gender appeal". Morris of "The Boston Globe" argued, "If "Akeelah and the Bee" is a generic, well-oiled commercial contraption, it is the first to credibly dramatize the plight of a truly gifted, poor black child". Morris added, "Obviously, it's emotional propaganda. But it's just the kind of propaganda our children need".