Young girls and perhaps even boys will find plenty of wonders to marvel at and positive messages to digest in “Nim’s Island,” Fox Walden’s big-budget adaptation of Wendy Orr’s popular children’s book. Adults, on the other hand, may get hung up on trite dialogue and overly melodramatic moments that stick out along the way.
The film chronicles parallel journeys undertaken by two female characters: an island-bound 11-year-old named Nim (“Little Miss Sunshine’s” Abigail Breslin) and city-dwelling author Alexandra Rover (a rare comedic turn by Jodie Foster).
Nim and her marine-biologist father, Jack (“300’s” Gerard Butler) reside on a remote South Pacific island. While Jack obsesses about discovering new types of plankton, Nim hangs out with animal pals and devours books about Alex Rover, an Indiana Jones-like adventure hero.
The Alex Rover that inhabits Nim’s fantasies may be strong and fearless, but the Alex Rover who invented him is the polar opposite: an agoraphobic woman who hasn’t left her apartment in weeks and lives on Progresso soup and Purell hand sanitizer. Somehow, the world hasn’t yet realized the discrepancy between the two namesakes — odd, given that the woman’s books are supposedly hugely popular.
When writer’s block strikes the author, she sends Jack and Nim an e-mail in the name of research. As it turns out, Nim is in a bit of a bind herself; her dad is stuck out at sea after a bad storm. Nim (who thinks she’s conversing with the valiant male storybook character) is all alone, and to make matters worse, an ocean liner filled with tourists is headed straight toward her “undiscovered” island home.
Unable to ignore the young girl’s plea for help, Alex the writer decides to find and rescue the girl. (Cue the comedic sequences about cramped air travel, etc.)
Simultaneously, both women take inspiration from Alex the adventurer’s bravery — Nim by trying to protect herself and her home from harm, and author Alex by conquering her fear of the out-of-doors.
Ultimately, writer-directors Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett (“Little Manhattan”) deliver a nice statement about women finding their inner courage and ditching the male superhero they thought they needed. The film also points out that while imagination can empower people (as in Nim’s case), it can engulf others (such as the solitary Alex).
It’s a shame that these positive messages and delectable hints of the Swiss Family Robinson, Peter Pan and Doctor Doolittle are sometimes overshadowed by hackneyed lines (“I’m not a little girl anymore,” “I will not give up!”) and worn-out action sequences.
Given these distractions, parents watching the film may wish they possessed the same childlike innocence and curiosity that Miss Breslin so skillfully conveys.
..1/2
TITLE: “Nim’s Island”
RATING: PG (for mild adventure action and brief language)
CREDITS: Directed by Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett. Written by Mr. Levin, Miss Flackett, Paula Mazur and Joseph Kwong. Based on the book by Wendy Orr.
RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes
WEB SITE: www.nimsisland.com
MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS
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