 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Nim's Island
- Review Date: March 11, 2008
- PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2008
Common Sense Media says
Book-based tropical adventure is good family fun.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this kid-friendly adventure movie has some intense moments of peril (particularly during two scary storms) but is ultimately a positive story with a great role model for tween girls (and boys!). The book-and-science-loving 11-year-old heroine is left alone on a tropical island by her father (her mother died when she was a baby, which is explained in the opening sequence) and has to fend for herself when he's delayed in getting back to her. She gets scared and upset and even hurts herself, all of which may bother some young and/or sensitive kids, but she's also resourceful and not afraid to ask for help.
What's the story?
Nim (Abigail Breslin) and her scientist dad, Jack (Gerard Butler), have lived on their own private tropical island since Nim's mom died when she was a baby. Thanks to solar panels and a satellite dish, their Swiss Family Robinson-like treehouse is equipped with a phone, email, and electricity -- all of which come in handy when Jack heads out to sea to look for a new species of plankton and leaves Nim by herself. He's only planning to be gone for a couple of days, but a nasty storm leaves him stranded -- and Nim increasingly worried. She turns to her favorite author/hero, adventure writer Alex Rover, for cyber help, little suspecting that Alex is actually a neurotic, borderline agoraphobic woman (Jodie Foster). Both Alex and Nim are in for several surprises before their adventure ends.
Is it any good?
Aside from the central email plot device, NIM'S ISLAND has the feel of an old-fashioned family adventure -- the kind star Foster made a couple of when she was a kid actor herself in the '70s (Candleshoe, anyone?). Kids will love Nim and Jack's tricked-out tree house, which is much more elaborate than the simple hut described in the book the movie is based on -- ahh, movie magic. They'll also love Nim's island friends -- Selkie the sea lion, Fred the marine iguana, Chica the sea turtle, etc. -- and Nim herself. Breslin is engaging and sympathetic as she copes with storms, invading tourists (the movie's closest thing to "bad guys"), and facing her fears about her missing father. Dirty, wild-haired, science-savvy, book loving; Nim is the anti-starlet, and just the kind of role model tweens could use more of.
The adult actors are also appealing. Foster is funny, relatable, and down to earth -- it's nice to see her doing something so lighthearted after a string of intense dramas/thrillers, and she's really one of the highlights of the movie. Butler is a bit corny as Jack, but in his other role -- he also stands in as the Indiana Jones-like hero of Alex's books, who comes to life when she needs someone to talk to -- he's roguishly charming. Along with the movie's strongly positive messages about believing in yourself and helping others, the three stars make it easy to overlook the movie's weaker areas (the script is a little bit cheesy in spots, and some of the plot twists require a pretty big suspension of disbelief even for a kids' adventure movie). Kids who go exploring with Nim will have a great time.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether this kind of movie is as entertaining as one with lots of special effects and/or animation. Kids: Which kind of adventure do you like better, and why? What makes Nim different from many other kid characters in movies and TV shows? Do you think she's a good role model? What about Alex Rover? What do Alex and Nim learn during the movie? What would you do in Nim's situation? Do you think it was right for her father to leave her alone on the island? Families who've read the book can compare and contrast the two. Which do you like better, and why?
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AGE
Great Movie
I've seen where a few people have said that this was too scary for younger kids. I guess you just have to know your kids. My daughter watched this for the first time when she was 4 & loved it. She is 5 now & watched it right before bed last night & was fine. It's one of her favorite movies.
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Kid, 12 years old
June 16, 2010
AGE
Good for anyone 6 and up for sure.
LOVE IT! I would not say its the best but if was very well done. I think kids of all ages ^ and up could defiantly see it.
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Kid, 12 years old
December 29, 2009
AGE
Nim's Island was okay.
This movie was not scary for me. I saw it when I was eight. My family liked it but I thought it wass okay. So I thought that I should give it a three. When Nim injured he knee and puss started coming out I thought that that was gross. I say 8+ because I saw all the other reviews and saw that kids 7- got frightned.
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AGE
Great Movie, A Little Scary.
It's not a bad movie, I quite liked it. Had a good plot and had enough scary moments to keep anybody into it. I really really liked it. I'd say 8 and up because it's a little frightening at times.
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AGE
Hmmmmmmm, I....dont know what to say....it wasnt very good...
I think the plot was boring. I think under 8 year old kids might get bored. I got bored and I'm 11. Not really recomended.
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AGE
I liked it and my daughter age 18 thinks that it's an okay movie. What I admire the most is the powerful imagination of a writer who seems to be a coward in real. But when she receives a call for help from a child stuck on an island, she overcomes her phobia of real adventure by her inner love for expedition.
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AGE
Good for my 4th grade girl but scared her younger sisters
My 9 year old girl loved this movie, but it had my 5 year old girl in tears. The movie starts with the mom dead (and I don't even think Disney produced this!) and then there is a very long period where you think the Dad has died at sea and left her alone on an island. It has a happy ending (Dad returns) but my little one was so upset by then it didn't matter!
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AGE
Fun fun
Character w/ agoraphobia might be a bit over kids heads. And some fantasy scenes were confusing - but it was a lot of fun and some real out load laughs.
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AGE
A few tough moments for kids but great role models, especially for girls.
I watched this with three seven-year-olds and they thoroughly enjoyed it. There were definitely moments that were scary for them (the father is lost at sea and battles the elements and his daughter is afraid for him) but, as we watched it at home, they could take a break from the scenes that were a little intense. I liked that the heros were a very self confident young girl and a woman who overcomes her fears to do the right thing.
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AGE
i loved the movie. i thought it was really good. its not scary.
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| Topics: | adventures, book characters, great girl role models, ocean creatures, wild animals |
| Studio: | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Directors: | Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin |
| Cast: | Abigail Breslin, Gerard Butler, Jodie Foster |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 95 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | April 4, 2008 |
| DVD release date: | August 4, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | mild adventure action and brief language. |
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