Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
A young girl inhabits an isolated island with her scientist father and communicates with a reclusive author of the novel she's reading.
Nim's Island is a pleasant but unremarkable family adventure that blends real-island scenery with a whimsical premise about a girl, her animal companions, and a reclusive author. The plot is predictable and thinly constructed, relying on familiar family-film conventions without much surprise. Jodie Foster and Abigail Breslin deliver competent performances that elevate the material somewhat, but the script doesn't give them much to work with. The island cinematography is colorful and attractive without being especially distinctive. The premise of blending a real child's adventure with a neurotic author's journey has modest novelty but is executed in fairly formulaic fashion. The ending wraps up tidily and without much emotional resonance.