SummaryBased on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, is a magical adventure story centering on Pi Patel, the precocious son of a zookeeper. Dwellers in Pondicherry, India, the family decides to move to Canada, hitching a ride on a huge freighter. After a shipwreck, Pi is found adrift in the Pacific Ocean on a 26-foot lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an... Read More
Directed By:Ang Lee
Written By:Yann Martel, David Magee
Life of Pi
Metascore
Generally Favorable
79
User score
Generally Favorable
7.9
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
84% Positive
37 Reviews
37 Reviews
16% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Dec 17, 2012
100
To produce a coherent film from Martel's tricky novel would be achievement enough, but Ang Lee has extracted something beautiful, wise and, at times, miraculous.
Sep 30, 2012
100
Meticulous care is evident in every aspect of the film. All three actors playing Pi are outstanding.
User score
Generally Favorable
83% Positive
811 Ratings
811 Ratings
11% Mixed
105 Ratings
105 Ratings
6% Negative
61 Ratings
61 Ratings
Jan 20, 2026
10
The lingering silence after the credits: A lost masterpiece of 2012 that still aches with the beauty of its vanished review.260312 (5.0)I remember being so overwhelmed by the film's afterglow that I couldn't speak for a long time after leaving the theater in 2012. It breaks my heart that my original review—which I surely must have posted on Cyworld—has been lost to time. Even without those written words, the profound silence and the 5.0-star impact remain etched in my memory as one of my most moving cinematic experiences.
Jun 26, 2025
10
To say that "Life of Pi" (2012) is one the two best movie that was made in 2012 is to say nothing. This is visually most stunning film I've seen in years upon its release in 2012. The film looks gorgeous. There are plenty of breathtaking scenes of skies and waters capes, animals and an almost entirely CGI creation in form of Bengali tiger named Richard Parker which makes for an amazing character. The way it was animated is a thing of beauty. I was like a kid while watching this movie for the first time and i couldn't recall when the last time that happened. I was so frustrated upon a fact that i haven't seen this movie in a movie theater upon its release. I watched Blu Ray on my HD projector many times and it was incredible stuff (the 2:35 aspect scene is also a thing of beauty). Years later i bought the 4K UHD disk, and rewatched this movie. It's as spectacular as it was in 2012. Also beyond all the visual beauty, there is a underlaying story here about never surrender it and letting it go. Directing by And Lee was incredible - in my opinion this is his best movie (and i do like "Crouching Tiger" very much). The cinematography was breathtaking. Music is very beautiful. Acting by all three actors that played Pi was amazing. Overall, watch this masterpiece on the biggest screen that you can find, this is a movie for ages. The ending is so unexpected, that makes you rethink the whole film. "Life of Pi" is a movie magic and one of the most unforgettable movies ever made.
Nov 20, 2012
88
A spectacular high-seas epic that employs technology brilliantly and underscores the power of a vividly told story.
Nov 21, 2012
80
The result is a movie built upon big ideas -- and timely ones, too, delivering a message of understanding in this frustrating age of great intolerance -- but also a great story and, thanks to Lee, a wonderfully satisfying cinematic journey.
Nov 21, 2012
75
Lee may, in the end, be too balanced a filmmaker to give Life of Pi the extra spin of lyric delirium it sorely needs. It's a sane movie about an essentially deranged situation.
Nov 21, 2012
67
Life of Pi, ironically, soars when it confines itself to land and sea; when it grasps for the celestial, the film goes beyond its reach.
Nov 20, 2012
40
Life of Pi manages occasional spiritual wonder through its 3-D visuals but otherwise sinks like a stone.
Jan 6, 2025
10
I thought Life of Pi was a beautiful story, the storyline was very difficult to understand, but this film still kept my attention, so it turned out to be a good film
Apr 11, 2019
6
Has great visuals but isn't nearly as profound as it thinks it is. Still worth it for visuals and music though.
Mar 20, 2016
6
OK, this is a very beautiful and breathtaking movie. I have to admit, even though I am a fan of the book, that the cinematic experience did get very boring at times. The island was beautifully translated from the book, which already had a weird plot. I could have used better acting from young Pi, but the one on the boat was amazing. Very emotional performance.
Jun 7, 2019
3
How'd the goat get through the bars... I don't understand lol this movie is not very good I'm disappointed.
Apr 19, 2014
3
The visual effects were actually pretty good but the movie is stupid .The movie is long and there is nothing spectacular in the **** story is really boring almost fall asleep during the **** critics are too gentle with the movie.
Production Company:
- Fox 2000 Pictures
- Dune Entertainment
- Ingenious Media
- Haishang Films
- Netter Productions
- Big Screen Productions
- Ingenious Film Partners
Release Date:Nov 21, 2012
Duration:2 h 7 m
Rating:PG
Tagline:Don't lose hope.
Website:
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 4 Wins & 11 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
Online Film & Television Association
• 2 Wins & 11 Nominations
