The Kite Runner

Kite running. Like gun running,
except different.

The Kite Runner is a 2007 drama film directed by Marc Forster based on the novel of the same name by Khaled Hosseini.... It tells the story of Amir, a well-to-do boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is tormented by the guilt of abandoning his friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of Afghan refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.
Yea. I just copied that from Wikipedia. I'm getting lazier and lazier. Anyway, the Kite Runner was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Academy Awards. So, not a bad film. Of course, some people disagree. Do they offer a structured critique of the film that could help potential viewers? Of course not.
 Incidentally, this post does feature some spoilers, as is always the way.

Amazon.com:

I hate having to read a movie!!!!! (Yet you think nothing of inflicting the torment of exclamation marks on others?) I had no idea this movie was subtitled (Seriously? No idea? Perhaps you simply suffered some bad luck, but I'm willing to guess this film would have been sorted in a "foreign films" section, have a sticker or somesuch notice informing you it was subtitled, and this fact would be mentioned in the blurb.). After about 30 plus minutes of reading, I got so bored, I gave up (Yea. It is hard work...). If I wanted to read, I would read the book (But you didn't. Nor did you watch the film. Making your opinion on the worth of such material as useful as... Well... You.) . The kite flying was quite dull as well. (Well. I found it to be more interesting than any kite flying I've ever seen in any other film. But I suppose that's subjective. However, you're an idiot. How exciting did you want the kite flying to be? The kites cut down other kites! That's more excitement than you can legitimately expect from a kite-flying scene! Did you want naked woman to be flying the kites, and for them to hit eagles and make them explode?)

Glad I only rented it. (I'm glad I only rented you. I know that doesn't make sense, but you're not going to read enough of this comment to know.)

Amazon.com:

In this movie, child actors act out boy on boy rape (Actually, it is just implied. What they act out is a fully clothed assault, after which one of the boys begins to undo his belt and Hassan's trousers are pulled at, before the camera cuts away.). In my opinion, you should not rent or buy this movie, even if the book is on your child's school reading list. (Yea! Mess up your child's education! Better still, since you know best, don't send them to school! Tutor them in a basment and eat rats for breckfast!) Granted, the scene doesn't go far, but it goes far enough to let you know what has happened. (Yes, that's how things are shown in films. Do you complain about murders or serious assaults being shown?) Now, THE REAL LIFE BOY ACTOR FEARS BEING ATTACKED because the movie offends Afghan dignity. (Source= http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3639956) This kid has been used. (Your opinion on that matter - arguably valid as it is - is irrelevant to the quality of the film.) Compared to that kid, I am lucky. (Yea. The fact you're luckier or unluckier than an actor has no bearing on whether or not I would like to watch a film though...) I am only out a few bucks for a movie that I will never finish watching. This movie should be rated R (No, because it doesn't show anything that warrants such a rating.) . Then I would not have allowed my children to rent it (Alright... No-one's saying you have to make them watch it...). If you write a review about this movie, please mention the boy on boy rape so that others can make an informed decision. No. I won't, because it is mentioned in the DVD content rating, and explaining it further would ruin part of the plot.

The author of this post has not written any negative reviews of films that feature either man-on-woman rape, or murder, torture, or serious assault. Now, while it is possible he/she simply feels not enough warning was given in the case of this film - despite the clear warning labels on the packaging stating the film features "strong thematic material including the sexual assault of a child" - it would appear that this person rates male-on-male rape assault to be far worse than male-on-female rape or murder. He/she, for instance, doesn't write a scathing review of Shindler's List because the Holocaust was bad. Now, while rape is of course terrible, the sexes of the participants shouldn't make a difference to the way we treat it. So this person's a homophobic idiot, who sees the very implication of something close to homosexuality as being far worse than genocide. That's flawless logic on my part, incidentally. Unpleasant things happen all the time in pieces of fiction, and this one was intrinsic to the plot. If you dislike watching harrowing scenes, then fair enough. But this isn't a piece of child pornography, it's a film where something bad happens to a character.

Movieguide: (Review conclusion) 

THE KITE RUNNER has many good things in it, but a crucial scene at the story’s climax shows the protagonist praying for forgiveness in a Muslim mosque (Could you be going somewhere with this?). During that scene, a song on the soundtrack talks of seeking and finding forgiveness through the false Muslim god (You're a Christian site. We get it. Chances are your readers are also Christians who agree with you, hence why they trust your reviews.) , Allah, and through Mohammed, the brutal false prophet who has led billions of people away from Jesus Christ and into eternal damnation (Not keep on the idea of purgatory then, are you? Still, it must be nice to have an unblinking belief in something). Mohammed, of course, killed his enemies, but Jesus Christ died for his enemies and their salvation (Yea, I've read about them, their both in the Qur'an, right? Incidentally, I'm not going to start a theological debate, but Muhammad lived in the 7th century. Warfare was quite common then. And you're going to keep a straight face and pretend there's not violence in the Old Testament?) . No one can replace Jesus, who is the one and only true Divine Savior who saves us from our sins (God could replace him. God can do anything. Shame on you for doubting him!).

And finally, a short but sweet review from Christian Spotlight:

I found this movie to be political, promotional of Islam, subtitles.which were hard to read due to background scenes. Ha! I lied! It wasn't sweet at all. Well, while the main (Muslim) character did try and find forgiveness from Allah, the fact a character wants forgiveness is hardly a huge promotional piece. It also showed the Taliban in a negative light. Do you think anyone, after seeing this film, rushed out and converted to Islam? Well, no, you image they were still confused by the crafty subtitles, don't you? Because you're a big racist.