Foster proves adept at broad physical comedy, the animated sequences charm, and codirectors Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett send up the make-believe Rover with panache.
Nim's Island (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:95
Fresh:47
Rotten:48
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: Despite good intentions, Nim's Island flounders under an implausible storyline, simplistic stock characters, and distracting product placement.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for mild adventure action and brief language.
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Apr 4, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $47,912,652
Synopsis: Based on the popular children's novel of the same name by Wendy Orr, NIM'S ISLAND follows the adventures of Nim Rusoe (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE's Abigail Breslin), a spirited young girl who lives on a... Based on the popular children's novel of the same name by Wendy Orr, NIM'S ISLAND follows the adventures of Nim Rusoe (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE's Abigail Breslin), a spirited young girl who lives on a remote island with her scientist dad, Jack (300's Gerard Butler), and a host of animal companions, including an iguana, a sea lion, and a sea turtle. Nim's idyllic life gets shaken up, however, when her father goes missing while on an ocean outing. Seeking help to find Jack, Nim contacts her favorite literary hero, explorer Alex Rover (also played by Butler), who, in reality, is uptight--and distinctly unadventurous--author Alexa Rover (Jodie Foster). Against her better judgment, Alexa journeys to Nim's faraway home, setting a series of thrilling and funny moments in motion. Directed and written (in part) by the husband/wife team of Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett, NIM'S ISLAND revels in its fanciful premise, never getting hung up on its unrealistic plot points. (E-mail on an extremely secluded island?) While Breslin and Butler are charming, the real revelation is witnessing the oft-serious Foster ham it up in a role requires plenty of slapstick, fish-out-of-water moments. Although teens might roll their eyes at NIM'S unapologetically sugary scenes, younger children will enjoy the giddy mood present of the ISLAND. [More]
Starring: Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler, Abigail Breslin
Starring: Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler, Abigail Breslin
Director: Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin
Director: Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin
Screenwriter: Paula Mazur, Joseph Kwong, Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin
Producer: Paula Mazur
Composer: Patrick Doyle
Studio: Fox-Walden
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Reviews for Nim's Island
Even as the derivative roots of "Nim's Island" are clearly visible, kids will no doubt vicariously enjoy Nim's adventures and Edenic existence.
Nim's Island is all too insular, lost in its own unique universe somewhere between Swiss Family Robinson and Joe vs. the Volcano.
Nim's Island is an old-fashioned kids' movie. Parents might find flaws, but the 12-and-younger set will find characters and a movie worth rooting for.
More intimately scaled than a lot of other recent children's book adaptations, the sweet-natured and light-hearted Nim's Island nonetheless achieves a nice hold over its audience.
If you have a child, Nim's Island is the kind of film you won't be sorry you shared with him or especially her, and if you don't have a youngster, you'll wish you did.
Directed by Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin, and adapted from a novel by Wendy Orr, Nim's Island offers a nice message for kids and grown-ups: Be the hero of your own story, whether confronting a volcano or 'borderline agoraphobia.'
Keep your shirts on, ladies. You don't need to rent a child to see this mildly diverting, if middling, adventure.
Jodie Foster returns to her kiddie film roots with the warm and whimsical Nim's Island
Nim's Island is a movie for kids who like to think and read and use their imagination, and for parents who may be tired of family fare that's nothing but a litany of cutesy pop-culture references.
Nim's Island is a win-win proposition: an entertaining, diverting adventure saga that offers excitement and a relatable heroine for children, and also will remind their parents of favorite classics from their own youth.
Based on Wendy Orr's youthful feminized spin on Robinson Crusoe, "Nim's Island" is a low-key adventure comedy for preteens that will touch the hearts of their gooey-eyed parents.
Tweens, and particularly tween girls, will have a fine time cheering on the ever-resourceful Nim...
Plenty of things happen that adults will have to overlook and forget any reasoning because this is a movie aimed at kids, and on that point it delivers.
Walden's family fantasy is an agreeable (but no more) digital-age version of the old classic novel.
Nim's Island starts out with a dead mother, so it's already got the makings of a family film classic.
A scrappy and imaginative tale about a resourceful 11-year-old girl who learns how to become the hero in the story of her own life.
A more enjoyable saga of girl power than Breslin's highly touted followup vehicle, 'Kit Kittredge.'
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