Despite being a "critically acclaimed" film, according to Rotten Tomatoes, not all of its reviews were this positive. Anna Smith of "Empire" called it "formulaic and all-American", commenting that many scenes "appear functional rather than inspirational", and that the film focused on the racial issue "a little too heavily". Smith stated, "clunky plotting and characterisation mean it has 'telemovie' written all over it". Marc Mohan from "The Oregonian" stressed it can be compared to after-school specials due to its "lack of originality in plot and character". "Time Out"s Jessica Winter also drew a comparation to after-school specials, saying "on the big screen ... its clichés seem bigger and its characterisations broader than they would on the more forgiving telly". Nick Schager of "Slant Magazine" lamented that the "clichés are too numerous to mention", while Neil Smith from BBC asserted it has "as much ... fantasy as "Lord of the Rings"". Jan Stuart of "Newsday" deemed it "virtually suspense-free", while Robert Hanks of "The Independent" stated it has an important message but that is a "shame it couldn't be encased in a less faked-up story". Commenting on "The Times", Chris Ayres stressed that although it has good "visual flair" it "is ruined by its "Oprah"-style emotional manipulation". "New York Post"s Kyle Smith deemed it as "uplifting but unimaginative", suggesting that ""Akeelah and the Bee" is so warm and well-meaning that you may find yourself wanting to like it more than you really do".