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Movies / On DVD / Nim's Island
Nim's Island

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Nim's Island (2008)

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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: U [See Full Rating] for mild adventure action and brief language.

Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Theatrical Release:02-05-2008

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

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
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The movie gets plain silly, but at least it's lively, and young girls will enjoy Nim's lifestyle in her eco-friendly and frolic-packed tropical paradise.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
05/02/08
Tim Robey
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There's nothing very suspenseful going on ... but the cast and the story will appeal to both kids and adults.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
04/20/08
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

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.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
04/03/08
Bill Goodykoontz
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic

... neither particularly fantastic nor adventurous.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
04/04/08
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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.

Full Review Source: Associated Press | comment Comment
04/03/08
Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire
Associated Press

... the cast and the cute critters make up for the weaker elements and bring home a nice movie for the 5-11 age group.

Full Review Source: Atlantic City Weekly | comment Comment
06/05/08
Lori Hoffman
Lori Hoffman
Atlantic City Weekly

Nim's Island bogs down a bit in the midsection with a subplot that seems to be more about the "do" than the derring-do, but the oft-cited phrase about becoming the hero of one's own story is a mantra that bears repetition.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
04/04/08
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

Directors Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin deliver some eye-catching fantasy sequences in the early scenes, but the film grows more mundane and the tone more uneven as it goes on.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
04/03/08
Keith Phipps
Keith Phipps
AV Club

The filmmakers both pillory the tourism industry and lambaste families just out for a good time -- the same audience, I would think, for their movie.

Full Review Source: Baltimore Sun | comment Comment
04/04/08
Michael Sragow
Michael Sragow
Baltimore Sun

The 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.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
04/04/08
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe

This scenic adventure/comedy delivers exactly what it promises—from broad slapstick to exciting action that stops short of becoming too intense for its intended audience.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
04/04/08
Pete Hammond
Pete Hammond
Boxoffice Magazine

A headache-inducing film that grows more obnoxious as it plays, but the most piercing element of the movie is Foster.

Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | comment Comment
04/04/08
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
BrianOrndorf.com

Nim's Island starts out with a dead mother, so it's already got the makings of a family film classic.

Full Review Source: Can Magazine | comment Comment
04/04/08
Fred Topel
Fred Topel
Can Magazine

Can filmmakers no longer create true-to-life inspirational stories about people in extraordinary circumstances?

Full Review Source: Charlotte Observer | comment Comment
04/03/08
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
12/17/08
Andrea Gronvall
Andrea Gronvall
Chicago Reader

An eye-filling and heart-warming story

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
04/03/08
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There'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

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
04/07/08
Tasha Robinson
Tasha Robinson
Chicago Tribune

Audiences may find early scenes of father-daughter family life more engaging than the adventures that ensue, but this is a fairly successful attempt at a preteen-friendly entertainment.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
04/04/08
M. K. Terrell
M. K. Terrell
Christian Science Monitor

Nim's Island wants desperately to be Swiss Family Robinson, but it's more like Swiss Miss.

Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | comment Comment
04/03/08
Joshua Tyler
Joshua Tyler
CinemaBlend.com

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.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
04/05/08
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
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