by Diana Tibert

Created on: April 13, 2008   Last Updated: June 06, 2008

Gather all the female writers you know - young and old - and all the kids in the family and head out to see Nim's Island. Simply put, it is amazing.

After seeing the previews for Nim's Island several weeks beforehand, my ten-year-old daughter and I anticipated its release. We were not disappointed.

It takes a little time to set the stage for the action, but in the meanwhile, children will be entertained by the interaction between Nim (Abigail Breslin) and her animal friends. Breslin shines in this movie and she obviously enjoyed playing the part. Her character, 11-year-old Nim, lives on a secret island with her scientist father, Jack Rusoe (Gerard Butler). Together, they have built a private paradise with all the things a child would love, including a tree house.

When Jack takes an unscheduled trip for research, Nim insists she must stay on the island to help the baby turtles when they hatch. It will only be two nights, after all, and she had already spent one night alone in the past. Reading the latest book by her hero, Alex Rover, will keep her busy.

Unexpectedly, Nim receives an email message from her hero, Alex Rover. He is researching volcanoes and believing Nim is Jack Rusoe's assistant, asks for her help.

When Jack doesn't arrive home as planned and pirate-like sailors from the Buccaneer arrive with plans to take over the island, Nim pleas for her hero to come and help save her island.

In reality, Alex Rover (who casts an Indiana Jones image), is a fictitious character created by novelist, Alexandria Rover (Jodie Foster). A far cry from the adventure hero in her books, Alexandria is agoraphobic and won't leave her San Francisco home. Alexandria also has a fear of being contaminated with dirt or germs (mysophobia). As she struggles to save Alex from certain death as he is sacrificed to a volcano, fiction writers will relate to her problems and writing technique.

There to help Alexandria take the plunge and leave the house and help Nim, is the imaginary Alex Rover (also played by Gerard Butler). Literally pulling her out the door, he helps Alexandria begin the adventure of her life.

As we follow the story of each of the three main characters, we learn it is all about getting to where they need to be and "being the hero in your own life story". The journey is filled with magic and adventure - all the imagination can conjure. What seems impossible, becomes possible. All three actors are spectacular.

My daughter loved the movie and now that the boys (aged 5 and 9) have seen the trailer, they can't wait to see it either, but they'll have to wait until the DVD is released. I look forward to the DVD, too, because I am left with a few questions. In the original trailer, the volcano erupted, but in the movie, it was just Nim making a bonfire to scare off the Buccaneers. And what happened to the scurvy pirate who duals with Nim and claims, "your island is already lost"? Was it cut for time or to keep the G' rating?

Nim's Island, based on a book by Wendy Orr (published 1999), is sure to spark the adventure in every kid and every kid at heart. To learn more about the movie, visit the official website (http://www.nimsisland.com/) where you can play games and get free downloads.

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