Nim's Island | REVIEW

There aren't many films nowadays that come out quite like Nim's Island. You've probably heard that it's a film that will fit well for kids who haven't even reached puberty yet, and your sources are probably right. It doesn't have the gore, the violence, the sex and nudity, the heavy storylines, the political influence, the swearing, or even the ruggedness of a 'grown-up' film or even a film that appeals to young adults. But is that really a bad thing? Having watched Nim's Island, I can say that it's not a bad thing at all.

Directed by Jennifer Flackett, Nim's Island is based on a book by the same name written by Wendy Orr. It's the story of a young girl named Nim (Abigail Breslin) who lives on an isolated island with her scientist father (Gerard Butler), eventually befriending a sea lion, a pelican, a turtle, and a Bearded dragon (which is ironically a small sized iguana). Go figure. No worries though, these animals don't talk; it's an isolated island...not Narnia. To Nim, the island is home and it's special because nobody knows about it. Trouble brews when her father goes missing at sea and a cruise ship company threatens to invade the privacy of the island with uncouth tourists. Nim has to stop them, and her only hope is her favorite hero, Alex Rover (also played by Gerard Butler), a fictional character that pays homage to Indiana Jones, whom Nim thinks really exists somewhere in the world. The rest is for you to watch and see.

Nim's Island generally centers around the life of a kid who doesn't need anything else in the world except her loving Dad, her 'friends', and her private sanctuary. It's just a way of seeing the world through the eyes of a young girl who doesn't know what's really real and what's make-believe, and how her imagination helps her be carefree even without the things we call 'bare necessities'.

Although the film isn't really the action-packed adventure that we've become accustomed to over the past few years, it's still fun if you ignore the fact that sea lions cannot play volleyball and iguanas can't really understand human plans and contraptions. At least, that's not what they normally do. Never underestimate animals, my friends, for they may be alien spies that were sent down here to watch us all. Anyway, what I'm saying is, if you allow yourself to be like a kid again, you'll find that Nim's Island is worth watching. I'm not gonna' get mushy and talk about innocence and whatnot, but sometimes a little break from the dark and demented heavy movies with lots of swearing and bullets to the head does help. And I never said Nim's Island isn't fun. It has somewhat of a mid-90's feel to it, and when I say that I mean it feels like one of those really light-hearted movies that Disney used to produce back then in the form of 2D animation. The story doesn't pick up much pace even in the climax scenes, but Nim's Island proves to be something different and something that can deliver a good time even among competition that boasts a cast of hot babes, slick rides, great actors, and lots of swearing.

Another thing that I'd like to point out is the acting of Gerard Butler. I know he's no Johnny Depp, but the man does have talent. Here's a guy who thrives on blood, gore, and the glory of a death in war in 300...but when it comes to Nim's Island he's able to play the roles of Nim's dad and Alex Rover with so much ease that you hardly ever remember him as King Leonidas when watching this flick. Butler has the ability to blend-in with his roles. What's great is that even in the same movie, you see Alex Rover and Nim's dad as two completely different people. Now that takes talent and Butler has it. I hope we see more movies with this dude in more complex roles. The guy rocks! Plus, Abigail Breslin is a perfect piece in the puzzle when it comes to playing Nim, and although Jodie Foster doesn't really show off her acting skills in this one, she's always a pleasure to watch. She is, after all, Jodie 'effin' Foster, baby!
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Wrap : I give Nim's Island a 3.2 out of 5.0. It isn't a great movie, but it's a good one. It could have been better, if you ask me, but I guess they wanted to keep it simple. Butler does a great job as an actor, and if you're in for some light-hearted, casual fun I suggest you rent out or find a way to get Nim's Island. It's not a must-watch, but it's something that's appropriate for the whole family. Of course for die-hard fans of certain genres be it horror or romance or thrillers, Nim's Island may turn out to be your most boring flick ever. But if you don't mind being a kid for a while, or at least letting go of common norms and logic and you're able to accept a kid's limitless imagination, Nim's Island is a very nice movie to watch.