Starring: Abigail Breslin, Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler

Rating: 2 out of 5 (3 1/2 for kids)

I waited until Saturday morning to see this movie. I would like to say it was only because it would be the best way to gauge the audience’s reaction to a kids' movie, but honestly, my Friday night ritual movie takes a backseat to the season premiere of “Battlestar Galactica.” Still, I think it was a wise to delay until Saturday so that I could see how kids reacted to this movie. Although I may not have been bowled over, you could have heard a pin drop in the theatre. It is rare that you go to a movie stocked with that many kids and do not hear a peep from any of them. Either they were riveted to the screen or high on the sugary goodness of Raisinettes, they fell asleep during the hypnotic opening credits.

“Nim’s Island” is the story of 11 year old Nim who lives on an island in the Pacific Ocean, somewhere near the Cook Islands. Her mother, an oceanographer, died when she was four years old. Her scientist father Jack (Gerard Butler with an American accent) loaded her onto their boat and sailed around the world twice until he discovered this “Fire Island” where they settled to live. Nim grew up on the island with her father and only the local animals as her friends. It sounds like a lonely existence but you would never know it from the total, unmitigated joy emanating from both Nim and her father. These are clearly two people who are passionate about life and quite content with what they have. Nim spends her days with her sea lion, pelican, and lizard friends, and only punctuates this routine with shipments from the outside world, which occasionally include the latest Alex Rover adventure novel.

Jack sets off on a two day boat trip to track down new species of plankton, reluctantly leaving behind his stubborn daughter after she talks him into letting her stay behind to help hatch sea turtles. However, a horrible storm pops up out of nowhere, leaving Jack stranded out at sea in his sinking boat. Meanwhile, Nim enjoys her freedom back on the island and even manages to meet her hero Alex Rover online. What Nim does not know is that adventurer Alex Rover is actually an agoraphobic woman named Alexandra living in San Francisco who has never done anything close to adventurous, save attempting to get her mail. When the crazy storm comes ashore on the island, Nim becomes worried when she no longer can contact her father by satellite phone. Scared, Nim reaches out to her hero Alex Rover and manages to talk her into coming to the island to help her.

This movie has a number of things going for it. The cast is phenomenal, even if I do not buy for a second that Jodie Foster would be afraid of anything. The four main characters, Nim, Alexandra Rover, imaginary male Alex Rover (also Butler), and Jack are likeable and interesting. The story idea is exciting and fun, and it is exactly the kind of movie I would have either imagined myself as a child or been anxious to watch repeatedly at the local movieplex. The problem I had with the movie was that despite the story and actors, it still kind of felt flat. In part this was the directing, but in larger part, the writing just did not flow well. There was 10 lbs of plot in this 5 lb bag and yet the movie still seemed to drag. The side plot of Nim defending her island was fun, but it took up too much of the screen time. I almost would have liked to see more of Alexandra’s journey and struggle, but on the other hand, I don’t think Jodie Foster’s comic timing would have made that more enjoyable. I also liked the imaginary Alex Rover played by Butler with his native Scottish accent, talking to Foster. It kind of reminded me of Jack Flack from “Cloak and Dagger” only Alex haunts the adult rather than the child in this movie. Still I liked Alex’s chemistry with Alexandra quite a bit, and I almost would have liked to see more of it.

Overall this movie is better for kids because adults might get bored, especially on repeat viewings with their children. I think the movie has enough things going right with it that children will not only enjoy it, but have a special place in their heart for it as they get older. A great family movie, it is worth checking out in the theatre if you have kids. If you don’t have any, DVD and cable are a fine place to check this out later.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Director: Mark Waters

Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Joan Plowright

Rated PG for scary creature action and violence, peril, and some thematic elements

Having to deal with a new and painful separation, a mother and her three kids move into an old house in the woods. Mallory (Sarah Bolger), the oldest and only daughter, seems the strongest and the one who helps her mother out the most in dealing with this difficult situation. Twins Simon and Jared (both played by Freddie Highmore) couldn’t be more different. Simon is straight-laced, with tucked in shirts and khakis, and is a self proclaimed pacifist. Jared is a bit of a rebel. He misses his dad and lashes out at his mother and his siblings, even punching and kicking objects around him. He’s mopey and moody, and wants his dad to come take him away.

Their first night in the house, Jared finds a dumb-waiter in the kitchen and finds that it leads to an attic full of cool stuff. He finds a key and discovers it opens a dusty trunk. Inside the trunk is a mysterious book with a warning note on it, and even though it warns of impending doom, Jared reads it. It’s called “The Spiderwick Chronicles”, written by Jared’s great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick. Eighty years ago, he wrote down all of the secrets of the world of goblins and pixies and fairies that he discovered and put them all in this book. The minute that Jared reads this information, the house is in danger. The goblin king Mulgarath wants these secrets so that he can become powerful and take over these hidden worlds. The house in under constant attack by his army of goblins who want to take the book from Jared. Jared, Simon, and Mallory must band together to defeat this army and keep the book and their house safe.

If I lost your attention when I said “goblins and pixies and fairies”, let me attempt to rein you back in. This is not Happy Rainbow Unicorn Land where everyone stops to frolic through the tulips to “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies”. When those goblins attack the house, it’s all out war. The kids get scratched, bit, and hurt by these things. They ain’t playin’ around. The goblins and all the other types of mythical creatures who make up Mulgarath’s army are scary. Mulgarath himself? Not so much. Mulgarath, a shape shifting baddie who strikes fear in everyone because he kills anything and everything that gets in his way, is played by Nick Nolte. There is only one scene where he is not shape shifting and appears in human form, and Nolte appears disheveled. Not too far from his famed arrest picture, and not very scary looking. He does provide the voice when Mulgarath takes his other forms, and he is very effective in this way.

Freddie Highmore is impressive in this film, tackling two very different roles. When he started out, I didn’t give him much thought. Another child actor, whoopee doo. But since his turn in last year’s “August Rush”, where he learned several musical instruments WELL, I’m a fan. He does run the risk of overexposure, a la Dakota Fanning. He’s been in so much recently. I still really like him. Sarah Bolger, who was in “Premonition” and “In America”, is great as older sister Mallory. She added a lot of life to the film and was fun to watch. Mary-Louise Parker, whom I’ve adored since “Fried Green Tomatoes” and whom everyone loves from “Weeds”, has become one of those actresses that I’m just excited to see no matter what she’s in. She adds depth to a character that could be overshadowed amidst the kids and the goblins. Rounding out the cast is Andrew McCarthy who I completely did not recognize while he was onscreen. He's in the movie for no more than 5 minutes, but his scene is crutial to the story and character development.

Now for the question I was most interested in hearing the answer to when I was considering taking my kids: Is it too scary? Well, it depends. My seven year old son was scared during most of the movie. He covered his eyes and curled up in his seat, but when it was over, he thoroughly enjoyed it. My five year old daughter? She loved every minute. Every time my son cowered, I’d turn to her and ask if she was OK. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the screen and every time she said, “No way, mama! This is great!” So really, it just depends on what your kids can handle. Every parent should have a pretty good idea. Overall, it’s harmless fantasy fun.

“The Spiderwick Chronicles” isn’t as kid-oriented as you may think. It’s deep and tackles issues such as divorce and the disappointment associated with it. But it handles its issues in a way that doesn’t talk down to kids and still makes everything very easy to understand. There have been several children’s movies lately that have far exceeded my expectations. This one falls in the same category as “Martian Child”: must-see family entertainment.

4 out of 5 stars

Jenny Rushing

beccajane67@yahoo.com