There are many family movies that I cringe at. Some of them take a best selling children's book but the studio felt a need to add some villains and perhaps some fart jokes. Some take legends (such as "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement Moore) and create a new story that is incompatible with all other film versions. Other times they are child-like in concept (such as a friendship between young prehistoric animals), good for toddlers, but not for their parents.
"Nim's Island" doesn't seem to suffer from any of those (although I admit I haven't read the book it is based on). I watched it without a child and enjoyed it, and I imagine a child would like it too. It can be enjoyed by both young and old.
The tale is about the adventures of an 11 year old American girl, Nim (Abigail Breslin), who lives with her father on their own small private island in the South Pacific, a world expert on marine microorganisms. No other humans live on this tropical paradise. Trouble in paradise starts when a hurricane-like storm arrives unexpectedly while the father is away doing research at a nearby island. A second problem arises when a cruise line that doesn't realize anyone lives on the island wants to make it a stop where their passengers can experience an unspoiled pacific island, as spoiled by the cruise line.
One of the things I liked about the plot was that the film made credible the amenities Nim and her father have on the isolated island (source of income, electricity, Internet, food and other supplies). The remarkable behavior of Nim's animal friends is an acceptable departure from reality; at least the animals don't speak English.
One of Nim's pleasures is when the delivered supplies includes the latest adventure novel about a heroic adventurer named Alex Rover. Nim doesn't realize that the novels are fiction. The film often interjects what she and the novelist (played by Jodie Foster) back in San Francisco (who don't know each other) are imagining.
I watched the film without knowing the cast in advance. I was surprised to recognize Jodie Foster as the novelist because this is not a serious A-list movie. Of course she was good in the part. What else do you expect?
"Nim's Island" doesn't seem to suffer from any of those (although I admit I haven't read the book it is based on). I watched it without a child and enjoyed it, and I imagine a child would like it too. It can be enjoyed by both young and old.
The tale is about the adventures of an 11 year old American girl, Nim (Abigail Breslin), who lives with her father on their own small private island in the South Pacific, a world expert on marine microorganisms. No other humans live on this tropical paradise. Trouble in paradise starts when a hurricane-like storm arrives unexpectedly while the father is away doing research at a nearby island. A second problem arises when a cruise line that doesn't realize anyone lives on the island wants to make it a stop where their passengers can experience an unspoiled pacific island, as spoiled by the cruise line.
One of the things I liked about the plot was that the film made credible the amenities Nim and her father have on the isolated island (source of income, electricity, Internet, food and other supplies). The remarkable behavior of Nim's animal friends is an acceptable departure from reality; at least the animals don't speak English.
One of Nim's pleasures is when the delivered supplies includes the latest adventure novel about a heroic adventurer named Alex Rover. Nim doesn't realize that the novels are fiction. The film often interjects what she and the novelist (played by Jodie Foster) back in San Francisco (who don't know each other) are imagining.
I watched the film without knowing the cast in advance. I was surprised to recognize Jodie Foster as the novelist because this is not a serious A-list movie. Of course she was good in the part. What else do you expect?