It feels like the first act of a three act movie. Aren't the adults going to bond and fight? Isn't there going to be more stuff where Foster tries to cope with undergrowth or bird guano or a rope bridge over a gourge? Isn't the volcano going to erupt? Aren't they going to to fight off the buccaneers? We spend the whole movie getting a couple together with a child and then the crew calls lunch and never comes back to shoot the rest of the damn movie.
shareI've been home from work because i'm ill, so I checked out the movie channels and this was on. In my delirious state, I watched it.
What the hell? So many plot devices just thrown away! The leg wound, the jar of blue stuff that her dad clings on to! Where does he get that other raft from? Why does Alex only spend about 10 minutes with Nim at the end of the movie?
I shouldn't have expected much, from a kids film, whilst I am in my 20's, but Christ it was bad! Whilst they make the journey of Alex fun, it's far too overlong. I was highly expecting her to reach the island at least half way through the film, so that we could see her adjusting to her 'unclean' surroundings and dealing with her problems. I was expecting the volcano to continue causing problems, I was hoping that Nim came down seriously ill with the leg wound. I was hoping bandits/pirates would land on the island and cause trouble. All we get is some harmless australian tourists!
I know it's a kid film, but the above would have created a sense of danger which would have made a life-saving pay off at the end much more rewarding for everyone, especially the children. Triumph over adversity is inspirational to kids.
They just threw it all away and it only felt like half a film, as you said, there was certainly more they could have done! Alex and Jacks sudden romance in the last 2 minutes (including end credits) was so unbelievable (even if he embodied her literary hero, so therefore she felt like she knew him well already) and they really didn't build on anything at all.
Maybe they could have made the journey shorter, maybe they could have added an extra half an hour to the end to make Alexs arrival and Jacks return more in depth, more adventurous and build on the romance between the 2.
God, I hate myself for writing all this for this shoddy film!
agree. the "invasion" lasted about 5 minutes with no deleterious effects, and alex rover was on the island for about 5 minutes. where was the plot? development? excitement?
i was hoping the movie would be about an hour longer, or an hour of more story in the original 95 minutes.
Finished the movie yesterday and rather than start a thread of my own... even though this thread is 3+ years old I have to agree. Looking back on it today, after a while to mull it over, for all she did to help Alex's journey to Nim was a pretty empty gesture. Nim and her beasties had already driven the yuppie developers out. There wasn't any adventure to be had at that point, and the only thing left for Nim and Alex to do was wring their hands a bit and fret over the return of Nim's father.
As far as I'm concerned they could have dumped the Buccaneers altogether and saved the real adventure for when Alex arrived.
I love it when supposed adults comment on a CHILDREN's film made from a BOOK.
The way it works is, the author of the book sells the rights to a film maker and then goes home, usually. (Faulkner didn't, but was pretty frustrated by the experience.)
THEN, some studio head decides they need a children's film to fill a slot in their production schedule. THEN, they option the picture, get a script written that passes a committee--not sure what you all do for a living, but once you get involved with a committee at work, you will understand.
THEN, they cast the film and set up a shooting, editing, music recording, and release schedule.
See anything about story, plot, realism, etc., in there?
You pretty much need to step back and remember that all this is about MONEY. I am sure your film crit class is exciting, but today entertainment is based on PROFIT, period.
All your wise and erudite comments are pretty darn cute; the only real question about ANY entertainment project today is, "Did it make money, and if not, can we write it off on our taxes?"