Nim's Island Review

Overall 4.18 of 5 view all 22 reviews

AngelaWLaFon
Big Island, VA

Nim's Island: Too FUNNY for kids to keep all to themselves

watching with kids, a comedy fan, looking for good, clean fun, happily mothering

Pros

no bad language, fun for the whole family, good lessons for families to discuss, Jodie Foster is great

NOV

2008

Nim's Island —

Nim's Island

We've seen several of the newest movies for kids released in 2008 including Horton Hears A Who, Wall-E, Kung-Fu Panda and Tinkerbell. The hands downs favorite was Nim's Island.

Nim's Island stars Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, Kit Kittredge) as Nim, the fabulous Jodie Foster, as writer Alexandra (Alex) Rover and Gerard Butler in a dual role as Nim's Dad and the Alex Rover hero from Alexandra Rover's adventure series.

While Nim and her scientist Dad, Jack, live a secluded life in the South Asiatic Sea, Alexandra Rover lives a self-imposed secluded life in her townhouse. It seems that the author of the heroic adventure series is in fact an agoraphobic who is so afraid to leave her house that she has massive amounts of Purel hand-sanitizer delivered and then struggles to even pick them up from outside of her door.

Unlike Kevin's parents in Home Alone who simply overlook leaving Kevin, Nim's Dad unwisely agrees to let Nim stay at home to watch for and protect turtles she is expecting to hatch. All is well until Jack has boat troubles, Nim hurts her leg and a cruise ship decides to let tourists invade their private island.

When Alex Rover reaches out to Jack by e-mail for some volcano research for her latest overdue novel, Nim answers believing that Alex Rover is the brave, strong man from the adventure novels she loves to read. After she hurts her leg checking out the volcano for Rover and her Dad doesn't return, she reaches out to Rover to come to her aid.

Alexandra's alter ego Alex Rover guilts the agoraphobic author who hasn't left her house in weeks into going to Nim's Island in the South Asiatic Sea to save Nim.

This is where the fun really begins. Kids will love this movie for the cool scenery with oceans and volcanoes, the friendly and helpful animals and most of all the "kids rule" theme as Nim defends her island from piratical cruise boat tourists with catapulting lizards, a gassing seal and a fake volcano eruption, well... it starts out fake.

What I loved most about this movie was watching Jodie Foster pull off comedy. She was hysterical! Foster as Rover fighting her demons and trying to travel across the world with her Purel and her cans of Progresso soup was a riot. Think cabs, airports, planes, helicopters, ships and boats for a woman who doesn't leave her house.

I won't give away any spoilers but you can safely assume that sure Alexandra does finally make it to the island and Jack does return safely home as well. I don't know if the comedy performance could get any better but I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel to this one now that the threesome is on Nim's Island.

My Viewpoint:
Nim's Island, the comedy adventure, is a great movie for the whole family. Kids love it but this Mom thinks Jodie Foster as Rover was so funny she'd watch it even without her kids.

Last edited on Nov 30, 2008

Nim's Island is recommended by AngelaWLaFon

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Comments about AngelaWLaFon’s Review

I had all 3 of my niece and nephews at my house for an overnighter and I took them to see this at the $1.50 cinema and we laughed until we cried. I kept telling people it was the wilderness version of Home Alone. I've been meaning to review it--still need to. ~Gigi

We recently bought this and I agree - I loved Jodie Foster's performance. Cute movie. Nice review.

I keep seeing it in the store to rent, wasn't sure it was a good choice for the kids, sounds like it is. Will definitely give it a try.

I enjoy Nim's Island quite a bit, too! Great Review!

I remember Jodie Foster from when she was a kid actress; I think she did the original version of Freaky Friday back in 1977. Of course, her best role was that of Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs, though she was also quite good in The Accused. Great review!