The fantasy adventure is based on Nim's Island, a book by Wendy Orr. The film stars 11-year-old Nim (Abigail Breslin) who lives on a remote tropical island with her marine biologist father Jack (Gerard Butler) and her animal buddies.
Tragedy strikes one day when Nim's father goes missing at sea. She decides to e-mail her favourite writer Alexandra (Jodie Foster) and ask for help. Foster plays a novelist who writes Indiana Jones-style adventure stories.
However, Alex is far from the hero she created. In fact, she is afraid to leave her own flat. You can guess the rest. Against all odds, the author bravely goes to the island to rescue Nim. The film would not be complete without bad guys. Nim has to defend her island from Australian intruders.
The first half of the movie is mildly entertaining. The action scenes featuring animals raise a smile. You might wonder if the caring father who leaves his daughter alone in the island could be guilty of neglect.
However, the story flops in the middle. The fighting with the 'bad guys' is silly. And it is just strange to see Foster, the cool, calm FBI agent in the original Silence of the Lambs movie, trying to bond with a little girl.
The film is a nice diversion if you need a break from anime.
