And when I refer above to "all obstacles," I mean a script that comes across like one of the animals on the island (all of whom are simply adorable) bit a chunk out of it, no one noticed, and they filmed it anyway.Butler, Foster, and Breslin between them generate enough electricity to power Manhattan or, in this case, at least a small island. They keep you glued to the screen in spite of the nonsense.The story contains a brief scene where an overweight Australian boy, along with his parents, is briefly on the island. He not only sees Mim but tracks her down and makes a connection. Seconds later, he has to leave and disappears from the story.The audience feels much the same way by the time the curtain closes. But it was a fun ride while it lasted.

Released in 2008, "Nim's Island" stars Abigail Breslin as the 11 year-old title character who's alone on a remote pacific island while her Dad (Gerard Butler) is late coming back from an expedition. Nim emails a reclusive popular adventure writer (Jodi Foster) in San Francisco for help.I'm a sucker for island movies and this one's quite good but, for me, it's hindered by its "children's adventure/fantasy" approach. I'm talking about the Disney-esque animal shenanigans. Apart from that, however, everything clicks for a fun island adventure. While kid-oriented, there's enough here for adults to enjoy, particularly for those who are in tune with their inner-kid. It was a modest hit when released.The movie runs 96 minutes and was shot in Australia.GRADE: Borderline B or B- (6.5/10 Stars)

I like a good family movie, and Nim's Island was that. It isn't perfect though, that I do agree with. Much has been said about the story being predictable. In a sense it is, but the movie also had a lot of wit and charm that didn't make me worry about that too much. I do think however some elements of the story could've been better done, for example there is the odd part that are brought up but abandoned, some of these were great ideas that could've been expanded upon. The animals are sweet and colourful, though one or two such as the parrot could have done with being a little less artificial. However, I loved the vibrant costume and set design and the understated cinematography. There is also a beautiful score, good direction, secure pacing and a funny and charming script. Abigail Breslin is one of the more promising recent child actresses and her cute, appealing lead performance proves this. Jodie Foster is good value as usual, and Gerard Butler is effective in two roles, though I think he's better as Rover. Overall, charming and definitely worth seeing. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This movie was much more entertaining than the second part of NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2. The story is well written and the pictures are wonderful. The little girl delivered a very convincing performance and I was very surprised seeing Jody Foster in such a curious role. The animals were lovely but I expected some more exotic ones. There were some funny scenes and that's how family films should be made. At the end my son had even tears in his eyes. NIM'S ISLAND is not a great adventure movie because one of the best is no doubt CAST AWAY with Tom Hanks. Don't miss it. My family rated this film 8/10.