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.
Comment
12/17/08
Nim's Island (2008)
52
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:23
Fresh:12
Rotten:11
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: Despite good intentions, Nim's Island flounders under an implausible storyline, simplistic stock characters, and distracting product placement.
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... [More]
Starring: Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler, Abigail Breslin
Director: Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin
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Reviews for Nim's Island
Top CriticIt’s a wondrous and warmhearted adventure story with some nifty special effects and some first-rate performances.
04/07/08
Top CriticThere's a lot to like about spunky Breslin, even when she's unnecessarily recapping events or recapitulating Home Alone as she chases caricatured cruise-ship tourists from her island. She's a charismatic, energetic presence at the heart of the film
04/07/08
Top CriticNim'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.
04/04/08
Top CriticNim's aquatic adventures and those on land provide the majority of thrills in this exhilarating and enchanting family picture. It's the best I've seen this year and highly recommended for girls and for boys, too.
04/04/08
Top CriticIf only Nim's hero were more original, and its story more concise.
04/04/08
Top CriticRoughly what Romancing the Stone would have been like as a 1970s Disney flick had CGI been available, Nim's Island is strictly for the 8-and-under crowd.
04/04/08
Top CriticJust when the movie needs real girl power, it leaves its heroine stranded.
04/04/08
Top CriticNim's Island is a pleasant-enough jaunt for a family outing, but it never fully arrives at that 'perfect, secret world.'
04/04/08
Top CriticIts characters, especially the youngest one, are engaging, and few adults are immune to childhood fantasies about secluded tropical isles.
04/04/08
Top CriticThe movie's dated, stereotypical comedy often contradicts its wholesome intentions, coming across as laboriously cutesy and occasionally perverse.
04/04/08
Top CriticThere's a stiff, constructed feel to Nim's Island, a constant sense of assembly that keeps the film from ever feeling natural. And no matter how unbelievable a tale might be, it has to take on a reality of its own to work on the screen.
04/04/08
Top CriticThe film's an oddity -- an engaging, slightly overcooked fantasy about a castaway-island girl and the agoraphobic San Francisco novelist who comes to her rescue.
04/04/08
Top CriticThe movie is not particularly rewarding for adults or children who believe that even a tale of fantastic events should be governed by plausibility.
04/04/08
Top CriticIf Nim’s Island were anything but a children’s movie, the casting genius who suggested Jodie Foster as a potential love interest for Gerard Butler would be looking for a new occupation.
04/04/08
Top CriticI'm not going to quibble too much with a harmless adventure flick meant for tween girls. Then again, I'm not going to knock myself out recommending it, either.
04/04/08
Top CriticA slapdash amalgam of competing visual and storytelling styles, bizarre acting, egregious product placement (particularly for National Geographic) and negative stereotypes.
04/03/08
Top CriticAn eye-filling and heart-warming story
04/03/08
Top CriticEven as the derivative roots of "Nim's Island" are clearly visible, kids will no doubt vicariously enjoy Nim's adventures and Edenic existence.
04/03/08
Top CriticKeep your shirts on, ladies. You don't need to rent a child to see this mildly diverting, if middling, adventure.
04/03/08
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