Nim's Island Review
Review by: Salpi Bezdjian
“Nim’s Island” seemed to me a really, really fun, fantasy and great adventurous movie to watch. This movie is a Walden Media film. The actors include: Gerard Butler, Abigail Breslin, and Jodie Foster. The directors are Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin. “Nim’s Island” is like a magical place ruled by a young girl’s imagination. It is an existence that mirrors her favorite literary character, Alex Rover. She is the world’s greatest adventurer. The author of the Rover books, Alexandra leads a reclusive life in the big city. As it turns out, Nim’s father goes missing from their island, but fate brings her together with Alexandra. Soon after, they must take courage from their fictional hero, Alex Rover, and find strength in one another to conquer “Nim’s Island.”
Nim (Abigail Breslin) is smart, intelligent and independent and she lives on an island with her marine biologist father Jack (Gerard Butler) reading stories about action hero Alex Rover (also played by Butler). The author of these stories is played by Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster), an OCD agoraphobic in San Francisco. She gets in touch by email with Nim for some research while Jack is away on an expedition. Nim thinks it is the actual Alex Rover, and when Jack is lost at sea, she turns to her hero for help. This movie gives three action stories of survival. Jack’s survival on the wrecked boat trying to get home is cool for its basic practicality. Nim’s survival alone on the island is fantastic and magical type of youth empowerment. Alexandra’s neurotic quest is just fun.
Children tend to love adventure stories. Especially movies like this involving imaginary characters, and animals. In Wendy Orr’s novel, like Abigail Breslin helps her character live out the theme of “Nim’s Island,” ‘Be the hero of your own story.’ The beginning of the film explains that Nim lost her mother when she was a young girl. Jack (Gerard Butler) a scientist who needs to do research thinks Nim is ready to go live on a deserted island. Nim names the island after herself. Nim adopts a family of animals like a dancing sea lion and names Selkie, Fred a lizard and pelican named Juno is a constant companion who Nim runs every decision and obviously the pelican understands every conversation with Nim. Nim has a tree house for observation and a lot of places to discover. Nim is a passionate reader. Nim loves to get lost in her favorite adventure story about Alex Rover, an Indiana Jones resemblance and portrays both a caring individual and exciting adventurer quite well.
Jack (Butler) believes she can take care of herself; he honors her pleas to remain behind when he takes off on an overnight expedition with his boat. Neither expected storm that leaves him knocked out, the boat disabled, and his island home with Nim a wreck. Alex also appears to Nim, who when not surrounding her bed while she reads and fights off dangerous thieves with his sword, is somewhat of a father figure when she is without her dad. In this island fantasy, the adorable pets and Nim’s courage and brave sense of survival, the Alex Rover (Gerard Butler) elements are priceless. Alex Rover becomes like a guardian angel to both Nim and Alexandra. Like a visible mentor to Alexandra, he guides and advises her while she writes, and challenges him a time about the direction of the story.
When I got a chance to go to the “Nim’s Island” premiere in Hollywood, CA in March 2008, the radio station DJ from 102.7 KiisFM did a mini interview with the actors. Quoting from Gerard Butler, he said “Most of the movie was shot in Australia.” Quoting from Abigail Breslin, she said “the animals were real, no computer animation.” I thought these seemed really cool and interesting. This movie also had a “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Bridge o Terabithia” feel to it as well.
Overall, “Nim’s Island brings a young girl and an afflicted woman together as the heroines of their lives and kids and adults of all ages will want to be on board for this fun adventure. It’s a funny story, particularly in its creative sense of relationship between fiction and reality. Nim’s enthusiasm, resourcefulness, and love of reading is beautiful, fun feeling, and terrific. I remember when I was younger I liked to read a lot of books and to this day I still like to read. My favorite books were like “Bridge to Terabithia” and “Treasure Island.” I had to finish the book before I did anything else. Nim kind of reminds me of myself. I believe everyone has that inner kid inside and loves to read and watch fun and adventurous imaginary type movies.
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