Oh boy, it’s a Hollywood movie that has subtitles… Great. Thankfully, this movie doesn’t act like it is an automatic classic. At its core, The Kite Runner is a basic tale of good against evil. The background of a conflicted Afghanistan is just that, a background for the main story that has the universal morals of loyalty and integrity no matter what the circumstances. Some of Khalid Hosseini’s details may have not survived the jump to theatres, but Marc Forster still builds an emotional tale that hits home.

Amir (Zekeria Ebrahimi) had a great life. He was the son of a rich merchant (Homayoun Ershadi), living a life of luxury in Afghanistan. This changed when the Soviets invaded and destroyed what he knew. But, before that we see Amir’s tough childhood. His only real friend is Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada), his servant’s son and a Sh’ia Muslim (a minority in Afghanistan). Hassan is always a loyal friend to his master and he proudly defends him when a local gang of racists confronts them, but Amir runs away in a later incident which leaves Hassan horrifically harmed. This incident stays with Amir long after he leaves for America. After the Taliban takes power many years later, an older Amir (Khalid Abdalla) finds a chance to make up for his past mistakes.

The biggest problem with the movie is that the rich Afghani culture is pushed far into the background of the movie, making the flaws in the plot of the book even more obvious. All of the heroes are flawless and the bad guys fit every stereotype in the book. The ending is incredibly anticlimactic and relies on random chance, which breaks from the dark realism of the rest of the movie. These failures really harm the overall picture. There are several strong moments though. The brutal scenes with Hassan really hit hard emotionally. Mahmidzada plays off of his counterpart well for some great scenes. Ebrahimi is surprisingly strong in his role as well, inspiring strong emotion even in his childish antics. There are some flaws, but it is still a good overall piece that shows the optimism of a lost generation even in the face of horrible events.