Movie Review: 'Nim's Island'

Walden Media were beginning to corner the market in solid family-friendly fantasy fare with The Chronicles of Narnia and the exemplary Bridge to Terabithia.

Both were so good that they appealed to a broader demographic than just the ankle biters, so it's a shame that Walden's latest offering, a foray into the offshore territory of Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin's Nim's Island, is a crushing disappointment by comparison.

Nim (Abigail Breslin— Little Miss Sunshine ) has, shall we say, a strange life. Living on a deserted island with her father, Jack (Gerard Butler— 300 ), hers is an existence built on imagination. Her best friends are a menagerie—the standout turn coming from the bongo playing comedy lizard—and she dreams of a life like her adventuring hero, Alex Rover, who features in her favourite novels. When Nim's father goes missing at sea, circumstances contrive to put her in touch with hypochondriacal agoraphobic, Alexandra (Jodie Foster), the author of said novels who becomes Nim's only hope.

Sound a bit complicated for a kid's film? It's acceptable to want to stimulate the mind of a child but the constant switching between fantasy/reality and island/real world during this movie's opening third is really off-putting. Because of this Nim's Island cannot establish a tone and, as it shifts uncomfortably so, in their seats, will countless adults and children.

Still this doesn't completely detract from some well-intentioned ideas. The 2-D puppet-theatre style opening is inspired and the sections of island life are reminiscent of some of the best early Disney live action classics a la Swiss Family Robinson. Sadly, though, this soon gives way to an unimaginative, slapdash, Home Alone in the jungle vibe.

Breslin is captivating even in sub-standard roles and her Indiana Jones Jr. will make her the envy of young girls everywhere. Those that should know better do not get off as lightly; here Butler follows up his vapid P.S. I Love You turn with another irritating performance and as for Academy Award winner Foster, it's mostly embarrassing with hints of the slapstick success she managed in Maverick to ease the pain.

Set aside the "in your face" environmental message du jour and you are merely left with a floundering fable of unoriginality that will struggle to compete with the Spiderwicks and Potters of this world on every kid's DVD wish list.

Two stars