Sort of like Rocky for the middle school nerd set , Akeelah is a warm , family-friendly underdog story , featuring terrific supporting performances from Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett . ''
Akeelah and the Bee was praised as `` Sort of like Rocky for the middle school nerd set , Akeelah is a warm , family-friendly underdog story , featuring terrific supporting performances from Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett '' .