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Movie review: Nim's Island |
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Written by Lisa Miller/special to the World
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Tuesday, 08 April 2008 |
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Girls Go Large
(ratings out of four stars)
NIM’S ISLAND
(2008)
* *1/2
Directed by Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin
Starring Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler, Abigail Breslin
Fox-Walden/Rated PG/Fantasy, Comedy/96 min
Though not without charm, “Nim’s Island” is heavily influenced by latter-20th century family films relying on overly manufactured characters and emotions. 11-year-old Nim (Abigail Breslin) and her father Jack (Gerard Butler), are the happy residents of an uninhabited, volcanic island located somewhere in the South Pacific. Pleased to perform full-time marine research far from the distractions of civilization, Jack is also in mourning. The film’s introduction, a stylized graphic featuring Nim’s parents, explains that when Nim was small, her oceanographer mother was swallowed by a blue whale — at least that’s how her father tells it.
Similar to many stories casting a child as the central character, Nim is obliged to grow up before her time. She cooks yummy dinners (with meal worms!), organizes the household and functions as her father’s companion. But Nim’s longing for childhood activities is expressed in her chatty friendships with island animals and by her fixation on the Indiana Jonesy adventures penned by Alex Rover. Quick as she can get her hands on Rover’s latest tome, Nim hunkers down in bed to read, and is transported into the midst of Rover’s swashbuckling adventures.
Despite such childish indulgences, Nim’s father has no qualms about leaving her alone on the island while he sets sail to study plankton.
At this point the film diverges into three separate plots. While at sea, Dad’s sailboat is battered and broken in a storm. He confronts a series of obstacles as he attempts to repair his vessel and return home. Meanwhile, Nim frets, certain something terrible has happened. Though she confides her fears to Alex Rover, by email, Nim tries to set her worries aside to repel an invasion of her paradise by cruise ship passengers delighted to discover a private beach.
The third story depicts author Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster), writer, under the name of Alex Rover, of Nim’s favorite adventures. Unlike the macho adventurer Nim believes the author to be, Alexandra travels only in her mind because she is a germaphobic shut-in. Rover has everything she needs in her well-appointed, San Francisco apartment. She owns a half dozen conveniently situated laptops, operating one while running on her treadmill, and manages an impressive reference library.
Like Alexandra, Nim has everything she needs or wants at her fingertips. While Nim talks to animals -- who understand her perfectly well, Alexandra converses with her alter ego, Alex, the adventurer who chides Alexandra and functions as her conscience. Both Alexandra and Nim have conjured an image of Alex as a rough and ready version of Nim’s own father, Jack.
Learning of Nim’s plight, the author decides she must rescue the little girl. Alexandra performs mental and physical gymnastics to reach Nim that are not unlike Nim’s own efforts to rid her island of unwanted invaders. Alexandra’s travelogue and Nim’s attack on the tourists, leave the realm of whimsical humor and heads straight for slapstick comedy. There’s only so much Foster can do with her character’s fixation on Purell hand sanitizer and Progresso soup, items representing the final links to Alexandra’s comfort zone. While Foster mugs, protests, and emits a range of girly screams from the confines of tiny planes, rickety boats, and a storm battered heliocopter, Nim and her animals concoct endearing schemes to frighten off the tourists. Out as sea, there’s no doubt Renaissance man Jack, aided by Nim’s pelican friend, will find some way of defeating his sinking vessel and defying circling sharks, to return to his beloved daughter.
While struggling to strike a balance between wackiness and whimsy, the film, overrun by a cliche musical soundtrack, somehow manages to make us believe that Nim and her father are exactly what Alexandra needs and vice-versa. “Nim’s Island,” from the children’s book by Wendy Orr, poses as a 21st century fantasy, but is, afterall, firmly rooted in comedies of the 1960s, such as, “Dr. Dolittle,” and “With Six, You Get Eggroll.”
MOVIE PREVIEWS
CR = Critics’ Consensus Rating (where available), PR = Lisa’s Predicted Rating
STREET KINGS
(2008)
PR: * * *1/2
Directed by David Ayer
Starring Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie
Fox Searchlight/Rated R/Thriller/109 min
On the surface, Tom Ludlow (Reeves) is a cop’s cop, but on the job he does whatever it takes -- rules be damned. He’s an alcoholic, secretly suffering from pre-shift panic attacks. Ludlow despises his blabbermouth partner, detective Washington (Terry Crews), but when Washington is murdered -- most likely by another cop -- Ludlow is determined to bring his partner’s killer to justice. Ludlow’s unofficial investigation puts him on a collision course with both Internal Affairs, and his cop friends, but he’s a force to be reckoned with. Whitaker appears as Capt. Wander, Ludlow’s friend, while Hugh Laurie plays the enigmatic, Internal Affairs investigator, James Biggs. Reeves delivers a dark, multifaceted performance, finally bringing the actor’s promise to fruition.
SMART PEOPLE
(2008)
PR: * * *
Directed by Noam Murro
Starring Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ellen Page, Ashton Holmes
Miramax/Rated R/Comedy/95 min
An academic burnout and arrogant S.O.B., college professor Lawrence Wetherhold (Quaid) suffers a head injury that forces him to confront his past. Wetherhold’s loser brother, Chuck (Church), shows up to freeload off his brother and provide hilarious color commentary, in exchange for acting as the chauffeur. Janet, Wetherhold’s ER doc, turns out to be his onetime Victorian Lit student, one of the many coeds with a crush on him “back in the day.” Ellen Page, fresh off her “Juno” boat, appears as Wetherhold’s conservative, sarcastic daughter -- a chip off the old block. While Janet romances Wetherhold, Chuck makes it his goal to put Vanessa in touch with her inner rebel. Though the story holds few surprises, its smarmy, off-kilter humor is expertly manipulated by the eccentrics, Church and Page.
PROM NIGHT
(2008)
PR: *1/2
Directed by Nelson McCormick
Starring Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis
Screen Gems/Rated PG-13/Horror/90 min
The fourth film made by this title, Screen Gems Studio green-lit an unwarranted remake of 1980’s schlock. The studio’s motivation is surely the PG-13 rating allowing teens to buy tickets to the horror genre they favor. Having survived a stalker attack several years prior, Donna (Snow) excitedly prepares to attend her senior prom with her boyfriend and friends. The night unfolds like a dream come true until one of the students is murdered. Donna, her date, and two other couples make a run for their hotel suite only to discover that Donna’s stalker is back. There’s plenty of chasing and screaming, capped off by mild PG-13 gore. Once word gets out about the film’s unintentionally funny effort to create suspense, few teens will be holding their breath to see it.
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THE RUINS
(2008)
* *1/2
Directed by Carter Smith
Starring Shawn Ashmore, Jena Malone, Jonathan Tucker
DreamWorks/Rated R/Horror
Two young American couples take a self-guided tour of picturesque, vine-covered, Mayan ruins. When the visitors attempt to leave, an attack by spear wielding natives forces the tourists to take refuge atop a tumbledown temple. While the couples regroup, wormlike invaders find their way beneath one visitor’s skin, freaking out the others who can see the critters freely wriggling about. From the book by Scott B. Smith (of “A Simple Plan”), the assault, occurring miles from civilization, forces the unprepared visitors to rely on their wits. In other words, they are rare intelligent protagonists appearing on the horror genre’s endangered species list.
LEATHERHEADS
(2008)
CR: * *1/2
Directed by George Clooney
Starring George Clooney, Renee Zellweger, John Krasinski
Universal/Rated PG-13/Comedy/112 min
George Clooney seeks to capture the early, anything goes era of football in a screwball comedy. The actor directs and stars as Dodge Connolly, an aging football player on a team competing in a league where flexible game rules invite playing field brawls. Hoping to put his team on the map, in 1925, Connolly recruits young Princeton star and WWI hero, Carter Rutherford (Krasinski). Suspecting there’s more to Rutherford’s heroics than he’s telling, sassy journalist, Lexie Littleton (Zellweger) saunters onto the field decked out in high heels and a sexy red dress. Instantly infatuated, Connolly is torn between managing his newfound star’s PR and trusting his heart to the lady in red.
SHINE A LIGHT
(2008)
CR: * * *1/2
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
Paramount Vantage/Rated PG-13/Documentary/120 min
Senior citizen director, Martin Scorsese, captures senior rockers, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, preparing for and performing in concert at New York City’s Beacon Theater during the Rolling Stones’ 2006 “Big Bang Tour.” The director intercuts the band’s archived, youthful interviews with their present day performance, but seems happiest when filming, and worshipping, the band in concert. Visitors include the Clintons, Christina Aguilera, and throngs of rocking New Yorkers.
21
(2008)
CR: * *1/2
Directed by Robert Luketic
Starring Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Spacey
Columbia Pictures/Rated PG-13/Drama/123 min
Based on a true story, the screenplay follows a band of MIT mathletes in their journey to become card counters and win millions from casinos by playing blackjack. Kevin Spacey appears as Mickey Rosa, the professor hatching the idea and recruiting the brightest students to join. Jim Sturgess portrays Ben Campbell, a member of the group and card counting genius who refuses to take orders. Bosworth plays Campbell’s girl and fellow team member. The heady experience of taking down the house is countered by an old school security man (Fishburne) who is serious about his work. While the film’s appeal to college kids is a given, casting Fishburne and Spacey in the same movie is a high roller play that should pay off.
RUN, FAT BOY, RUN
(2007)
CR: * *1/2
Directed by David Schwimmer
Starring Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria, Dylan Moran
Picturehouse/Rated PG-13/Comedy/99 min
Dennis, a British slacker with commitment phobia, is finally ready to commit to Libby (Newton). Five years earlier, Dennis left pregnant Libby at the altar, so to make him to prove his sincerity, she sets him up to compete against Whit (Azaria), a charming American who seems steady and kind. When Libby boasts that Whit is running a marathon, Dennis (Pegg) replies, “So could I,” and the game is on. Having bet his savings on Dennis to win, best friend, Gordon (Moran), signs on as trainer, but he’s even lazier than Dennis. Directed by “Friends’” David Schwimmer and well-received across the pond, the film’s springtime US debut feels just right.
STOP-LOSS
(2008)
CR: * * *
Directed by Kimberly Peirce
Starring Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Timothy Olyphant
Paramount/Rated R/Drama/112 min
Brandon King, having returned home from Iraq to a Texas style hero’s welcome, soon learns he’s being ordered back to Iraq under the stop-loss policy. King (Phillippe) gets no sympathy from his war buddies, thuggish Shriver (Tatum), and screw-up Burgess (Gordon-Levitt). With his buddy’s girl (Cornish) in tow, King heads for Washington to complain to his senator. A VA hospital stopover feels manipulative, but otherwise, the film makes an honest effort to examine all sides of the stop-loss policy.
SUPERHERO MOVIE
(2008)
CR: *1/2
Directed by Craig Mazin
Starring Drake Bell, Leslie Nielsen, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald
Weinstein Co./Rated PG-13/Comedy/85 min
In a spoof of the “Spider-Man” films, Drake Bell plays high school loser Rick Riker. After being bitten by a genetically altered dragon fly, Rick crawls up buildings, hangs from the ceiling and grows guard hairs in the most unlikely places. Wearing an ultra tight, prone to tearing, green latex suit, heroic Rick falls for lovely Jill (Paxton). Meanwhile, an experiment transforms Lou Landers (McDonald) into the evil “Hourglass,” devourer of life forces. With the popular Spidey currently on hiatus, fans may jump at a chance to revisit familiar stomping grounds through comedy -- or more likely, will avoid not this lackluster satire. Competition to win the film’s teen audience is tighter than a superhero’s costume.
DRILLBIT TAYLOR
(2008)
* *
Directed by Steven Brill
Starring Owen Wilson, Josh Peck, Alex Frost, Leslie Mann
Paramount/Rated PG-13/Comedy/102 min
Listed as the film’s producer, Judd Apatow has his fingerprints all over the screen treatment cowritten by his Knocked Up star, Seth Rogen. Three freshman tormented by bullies at school, advertise for protection. After interviewing a handful of weirdos, they choose Drillbit Taylor (Wilson), unaware he’s a homeless bum posing as a solider-of-fortune. One of the lads loans Drillbit his father’s suit, causing the imposter to be mistaken for a substitute teacher. While instructing class, Drillbit catches the eye of a pretty teacher (Leslie Mann, Judd Apatow’s wife). Meanwhile, the boys discover that Drillbit lacks fighting skills, but has taken the job hoping to find something he can steal. Same goes for Wilson who steals the film as its chief BS’er.
MEET THE BROWNS
CR: * *1/2
Directed by Tyler Perry
Starring Angela Bassett, Tamela J. Mann, Tyler Perry, Rick Fox
Lionsgate/Rated PG-13/Drama
Written by Tyler Perry as a play (available on DVD), the film stars Angela Bassett as a recently unemployed single mother. When Brenda’s (Bassett) estranged father dies, the city girl packs up her brood and heads for Georgia to meet his branch of the family. Outwardly, the Brown clan is uncouth, but they warmly envelop Brenda. Romance arrives in the form of a handsome family friend (Fox), but after years of being alone love frightens Brenda almost as much as the camera loves Bassett. Kudos to Lionsgate for betting twice on Perry’s appeal, even if this time, the author plays his problematic alter ego, loudmouthed Madea.
SHUTTER
(2008)
CR:* *
Directed by Masayuki Ochiai
Starring Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor, James Kyson Lee
Fox/Rated PG-13/Horror
Spirit photography, popular in Asia, is the subject of this remake of a Thai horror. Young American newlyweds, Ben (Jackson) and Jane (Taylor), travel to Tokyo for Ben’s job as photographer of a trendy fashion event. En route, Jane believes she runs over a woman appearing out of nowhere, but the couple find no evidence of a body. Subsequently, Ben’s fashion photos are blemished by ghostly images. The couple seeks advice from the editor of a Japanese spirit photography magazine (Lee). He shows the newlyweds snapshots of ghosts haunting the living, many who mysteriously died shortly thereafter. Ho-hum. Given the Eastern appetite for Western action fare, perhaps the plethora of hokey J-horror remakes be part of some secret trade agreement.
DOOMSDAY
(2008)
* *
Directed by Neil Marshall
Starring Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, Adrian Lester, Alexander Siddig and Malcolm McDowell
Rogue Pictures/Rated R/Action/105 min
Thirty years ago a killer virus swept through Britain. Unable to find a cure, authorities contained the sick behind high walls and left them to die. In the present day, another outbreak prompts officials to send an elite squad into the quarantined zone to retrieve clues to a cure. However, the abandoned have no desire to help their keepers. Rhona Mitra stars as captain of a mission leading a special ops unit into a closed city ruled by violence and hatred. Often compared to “Mad Max” and “28 Days,” the film’s apocalyptic action formula has earned it the nickname, “28 Days Beyond The Thunderdome.”
HORTON HEARS A WHO!
(2008)
* * *
Directed by Jimmy Hayward, Steve Martino
Voiced by Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Seth Rogen, Dan Fogler, Jonah Hill, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler
Fox/Rated G/Animated/88 min
Brilliantly animated in muted colors, “Horton” is dark and moody one minute, sunny the next. Jim Carrey and Steve Carell lead a voice talent dream team that would have made Dr. Seuss proud. While lounging beside a pool, Horton the elephant (Carrey) discovers microscopic Whos living in a speck lodged on a flower. Horton signs on as their protector, a job made more difficult by his disbelieving friends and by Vlad (Arnett), a nasty vulture. While Horton searches for somewhere the Whos will be safe, The mayor of Whoville (Carell), his wife (Poehler) and their 94 children go about their normal routines unaware of Vlad’s plot to destroy them. A humorous object lesson for the kiddies, these lively characters from two very different, yet similar worlds will energize the whole clan.
NEVER BACK DOWN
(2009)
CR: *
Directed by Jeff Wadlow
Starring Sean Faris, Amber Heard, Djimon Hounsou, Cam Gigandet, Evan Peters, Leslie Hope
Summit Entertainment/Rated PG-13/Drama/106 min
Two buffed high schoolers duke it out for the title and the girl (Heard). Football jock, Jake (Faris), is lured into an underground fight club after taking a beating from Mixed-Martial Arts Champ, Ryan McCarthy (Gigandet). Having recently lost his father, Jake asks a well-known master, Jean Roqua (Hounsou), to train him, but the physical challenges are only half of a battle that requires Jake to control his anger. Every generation craves its own version of the “Karate Kid,” in this case, beefcake for teens. We can only hope that one of these films will raise “Kid’s” shopworn philosophy to the next level.
10,000 B.C.
(2008)
*1/2
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Starring Camilla Belle, Steven Strait, Marco Khan
Warner/Rated PG-13/Action, Fantasy/109 mins
The story is set during early civilization, a time when relatively primitive man and prehistoric beasts coexisted. Young tribesman, D’Leh (Steven Strait), has pledged his love to Evolet (Camilla Belle) when she is stolen, along with other tribe members, by mysterious men on horseback. D’Leh and friends begin a rescue mission that takes them over snowy mountains, through the jungle, and across a vast desert. When they reach Africa, D’Leh meets other raided tribes. Impressed by D’Leh’s saber-tooth tiger protector, more warriors join his quest. Big budget CGI effects fail to conjure realistic beasts, and the climactic battle is a big snooze.
THE BANK JOB
(2008)
CR: * * *1/2
Directed by Roger Donaldson
Starring Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore, Daniel Mays
Lionsgate/Rated R/Action/110 min
Based on an actual high profile bank robbery from the anything goes 70s, this story theorizes there was a good reason no arrests were made. Society dame, Martine (Burrows), recruits Terry Leather (Statham) and his cohorts to execute a Lloyds bank heist based on her plan. Because Martine knows which Lloyds safety deposit box contains compromising photos of a young royal and politicians, she plans to use it as a bargaining chip to keep everything else they have stolen. The film is three-quarters crime-caper, one-quarter party movie, with some scenes set in unseemly locations. Lest it all sounds too “Ocean’s Eleven,” jackhammers take the place of gadgets.
COLLEGE ROAD TRIP
(2008)
CR: *
Directed by Roger Kumble
Starring Raven-Symone, Martin Lawrence
Walt Disney/Rated G/Comedy/83 min
Honor student, Melanie (Raven-Symone), decides to tour prospective universities on an all-girl road trip. Instead, Melanie’s overprotective Dad (Lawrence) insists on escorting them with predictably embarrassing results. Seemingly made for Raven’s fans, the film takes one wrong turn with its tired jokes and another one with Lawrence’s over-the-top performance.
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL
(2008)
* * 1/2
Directed by Justin Chadwick
Starring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana
Sony/Rated PG-13/Drama/115 min
Another retelling of King Henry VIII’s costly daliances with the Boleyn girls. Though palace intrigues explored here have gotten plenty of celluloid in Showtime’s exceptional, “The Tudors,” there always seems to be room for another glossy production on the matter. This one takes a closer look at Mary Boleyn (Johansson), the sister first chosen as mistress to King Henry VIII (Bana). The film examines the scheme laid out by Sir Thomas Boleyn (Mark Rylance) and his brother-in-law, the Duke of Norfolk (David Morrissey), to place Anne in the king’s bed. Portman fails to summon the strength of Anne’s resolve. Bana falls short of Henry’s charisma, but Johansson, and the rest of the cast imbue this costume drama with nuanced and troubled minds.
VANTAGE POINT
(2008)
* *
Directed by Pete Travis
Starring Dennis Quaid, William Hurt, Matthew Fox, Sigourney Weaver, Forest Whitaker
Sony/Rated PG-13/Thriller/90 min
Following an attempt on the president’s life, we see the event unfold from different points of view. Sigourney Weaver plays a seasoned news reporter, Quaid is cast as a secret service agent, Whitaker appears as an interested tourist and William Hurt takes on the role of president. Each perspective gives us one more piece of a puzzle that is unequal to the sum of its parts. Though the viewpoints are interesting, the story lacks zip. Chase sequences and car crashes fail to amp up the tension. Set at an international conference where terrorists plan to attack, the film’s many viewpoints fail to nail down one that the film can call its own.
JUNO
(2007)
* * * *
Directed by Jason Reitman
Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J. K. Simmons
Fox Searchlight/Rated PG-13/Comedy/96 min
Juno (Page), a teen of big vocabulary words and even bigger ideas, unexpectedly finds herself impregnated by her slacker boyfriend Paulie (Cera). Over the objections of her own parents (Allison Janney and J. K. Simmons), Juno decides to have the baby for a pair of yuppie, parents-in-waiting (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner). Paulie, who begins to see Juno as the one-of-a-kind she is, waits to resume dating her after the baby is born. The comedy, mainly comprised of Juno’s witty complaints, arises in part from her inability to predict the many ways her life does and will change as a result of her experience.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 08 April 2008 )
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