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Rated PG for mild language and adventure danger
Reviewed by Karl Scott

In 1933, legendary film actress, Fay Wray, starred in the landmark film King Kong.  In that same year she appeared in 10 other movies.  Most best remember Fay as the screaming doorbell in the 1976 all star comedy, Murder by Death.  Young actress Abigail Breslin turns 12 on April 14th.  She is currently appearing in the adventure story Nim’s Island.  She is eleven years old which is exactly the number of films Fay Wray appeared in during 1933.  

 

It seems that every third film I see has young Abigail in the cast.  In Nim’s Island she plays cute and precocious Nim.  She lives on a private island with her dad who is a scientist.  She reads a lot of books mostly with and by Indiana Jones wannabee Alex Rover.  Nim’s dad goes out in a boat to do some science stuff.  Nim is home alone.  

 

Eighteen years ago Macaulay Caulkin would have been Nim.  

 

A big monsoon wrecks dad’s ship.  Now she is really alone.  His fate is in the hands of Galileo the bird.  She starts emailing messages with the real Alex Rover.  AR is in reality Alexandra Rover played by Jodie Foster who is writing about her alter-ego but as a male.  She is no daredevil adventurer.  She is actually a compulsive obsessive shut-in with clean hands and a belly full of Progresso soup.  Everything is delivered.  She won’t even walk out to the mailbox.  

 

AR is in need of research for a story and that’s how she ends up emailing Nim whose island has a volcano on it.  Gerard Butler best known for his role as The Phantom of the Opera in the recent movie version and King Leonidas in 300 plays a double role as Nim’s dad and the fictional Alex Rover who appears in the minds of young Nim and writer Alexandra.  Lots of complications ensue.  Will dad survive the storm?  Will Nim survive alone? Can Alexandra make it out her front door?  Will tourists invade the island?  

 

Adult viewers will be able to figure out exactly where this story is going.  Kids will not and the four who tagged along with me, aged 5,7, 10 and 12 were mesmerized.  Great graphics, a delightful score by Randy Edelman and Alexandra’s woes on the road still make this an okay adult experience.  

 

Filmed in Australia and finished up on powerful computers, Nim’s Island will be best enjoyed on the big screen.  If you do go, it’s more fun to take the kids with you.  Abigail Breslin is now involved in a year long project in which she will star in remakes of all 11 films Fay Wray made in 1933.  Since King Kong was just remade AB will instead star in a new remake of The Ten Commandments playing a young Moses.  I expect to see all of them.
 
Rated 5.1 out of 11 but not Ocean’s Eleven, although Abigail has announced she will star in the remake of the remake in 2013, time permitting.