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17-year-old paleontologist Harmain Khan is one of three scientists profiled in the documentary Whiz Kids.

Jun 01, 2010 By Jim Scott Web Exclusive

A documentary about ultra-smart teens and the competition that could catapult them to genius stardom—and send them to college—sounds fascinating. Unfortunately, director Tom Shepard and co-director Tina DeFeliciantonio don't get to the heart of their protagonists or the competition.

While Shepard and DeFeliciantonio have chosen their subjects well, they never get far enough into figuring out what drives these young scientists. Early on, there's a touching shot of Ana Cisneros planting seeds with her father, and it's one of the few scenes that delves as deep as a documentary should. Interviews with Cisneros, Kelydra Welcker and Harmain Khan reveal information that should be explored by the directors and isn't.  Behind-the-scenes at the competition never feels like the backstage pass the viewer wants; the brief moment of judging that is shown does little to explain how the winners are chosen.   

The film opens with statistics about the United States lagging behind several other nations in math and science, and the biggest failure of Whiz Kids lies in its inability to show the magic these teens feel for their craft. One scene of Khan cutting apart an ancient tooth ends up losing much of its effect as he describes the tedium of the work. If nothing else, Whiz Kids would have looked smartest had it made the science seem cool. (http://whizkidsmovie.com)

Whiz Kids opens in New York on Friday and in Southern California on June 11. Click here for screening info.

Author rating: 4/10