When you're fabulously wealthy, you can afford all sorts of luxuries, from mansions to yachts and private planes. But you know you've really made it -- at least financially -- when you own your own private island, preferably in some tropical location (after all, what fun is some barren outcrop in frigid waters?).
But when you're a child -- at least the kind not an heir to some immense fortune -- all you can do is dream about what seems like the idyllic kid's life (not taking into account the mosquitoes, sunburn, copious rain and such). Or read about the same in children's books or, even easier yet, watch that in the movies.
That's what the filmmakers and studio behind "Nim's Island" are banking on. Based on the novel of the same name by Wendy Orr, it's the cinematic tale of an 11-year-old girl (Abigail Breslin) who lives on an uncharted island in the South Asiatic Sea with her marine biologist dad (Gerard Butler). Notwithstanding the absence of her mom and/or a mother figure, she thinks she has the best life. That is, until her dad ends up missing during a two-day expedition, resulting in her favorite literary character, Alex Rover, coming to her rescue.
The only problem is that character-cum-author is really an agoraphobic novelist (Jodie Foster) whose only friend is her own imagined personification of her protagonist (Gerard Butler, again), who just so happens to pretty much match the girl's view of him as well. From that point on, the shut-in has to go out and experience various adventures, all while accompanied (at least in full-blown psychosis mode) by her rugged and adventure-loving alter ego.
You won't be alone if you're thinking that sounds a lot like a mixture of "Romancing the Stone" (sheltered novelist living variously through her adventurous literary creation) and "Swiss Family Robinson" (a family successfully living on a tropical isle).
Not being familiar with Orr's original work, I can't comment on the plot or tone. There's no denying, though, that the married writing/directing duo of Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin along with co-writers Joseph Kwong and Paula Mazur are aiming low (as in age, not below the belt) with this offering. Beyond the on-the-nose dialogue (designed so that kids "get" what's happening in case it's not otherwise obvious enough), there's the dreaded anthropomorphizing of various critters.
Thankfully, they don't speak as occurs in the false advertising that's promoting the film (I can't wait to hear the young kids wailing about why none of them talk in the movie), but they're clearly given human characteristics, sounds and more, all while hanging out with and/or helping Breslin's character. Some of that stems from the girl having to contend with outsiders who unexpectedly arrive and must be driven away, at least in her mind, although one would think she'd go to them for help in finding her dad who's lost at sea.
Considering the wild box office success of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, it's surprising but also refreshing that the filmmakers opted not to go with the obvious choice of pirates as the characters who need to be repelled. Of course, the story is set in contemporary times and today's real life pirates aren't exactly the stuff of family friendly fare.
Yet, the choice of vacationing tourists isn't exactly inspired, and doesn't really provide much in the way of suspense and/or laughs (although young kids may enjoy the barrage of lizards used as an aerial deterrent). It certainly makes one wonder why the "villains" -- and a film of this storytelling type clearly needs them -- couldn't have been a film crew arriving on the island to make a "Pirates" type rip-off.
Thus, and at least early on, Nim could have believed they were the real thing (especially after setting up the back-story of her mom's apparent death due to the arrival of a ship named The Buccaneer in the past), and then could have gone about defending her island, with her email updates making Alexandra's journey to and eventual arrival on the island all the more urgent.
The filmmakers do insert a little bit of directorial flourishes here and there (most notably by having imagined scenes where one character is physically in the presence of another when the communication is via email, for instance). Yet, they don't have enough fun playing with and off writers sometimes becoming so immersed in their work that they lose touch with reality (and thus end up interacting with their characters). The latter does occur, and young kids with limited mental libraries of previously released, similar material will probably think it's wild stuff. Any adults in tow, however, might just wish the filmmakers were a little more creative and smart with the material.
Breslin is fine as the young protagonist, and Butler is decent in the dual role. On the other hand, Foster -- obviously wanting to do the family friendly thing, what with being a parent herself, and perhaps to cleanse her acting palate after going all Chuck Bronson in her previous film -- feels like she's straining a bit, perhaps for the first time in her career, in the nervous Nellie comedy role. It's certainly far from awful, but it feels below the actress' abilities.
While "Nim's Island" is easy enough to watch (although one's enjoyment of it will likely be inversely proportional to their age), I just kept wishing it was more adventurous, magical and imaginative. The film rates as a 5 out of 10.
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