Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great movie but rather misrepresented by the TV trailers, 21 Aug 2007
My 11 year old son and I went to see this movie on the strength of the Disney TV trailers that really gave a totally false impression of what the film was about (it seemed perhaps it would be a great fantasy adventure similar to 'The time bandits', 'Narnia' or the recent 'Stardust'). In fact the film is more like a standard US teen movie, with typical school yard, home-life and school bus scenes. However the quality of the movie is simply in another league to most teen flicks, and it's got some visually stunning moments (not unlike quality films such as 'Alice doesn't live here anymore' and 'Fried green tomatoes'). It's got an intelligent script aimed squarely at a kid audience, a fine young/adult cast, and is simply a good movie.
It's not for most, if any, under 8s though as it deals with late preteen/teenager childhood friendship and school problems. It has also got quite a few pretty children's fantasy sequences which my son happily took to be real - and it's not that scary, although it is emotionally intense. I don't want to give away any more of the plot though, just try it for the family as it's ideal to rent or perhaps buy. I can't see many kids watching it often though, as its power works best on first viewing - unless someone ruins it by giving away the storyline. The book, and film, was based on the author's son's real childhood friendship with a girl schoolfriend (although they were both eight at the time and not twelve as with the character's in the movie). I don't think the themes are unsuitable for under tens - I loved weepies Old Yeller and Bambi at 5 or 6 and in some respects the movies final scenes are quite uplifting. Besides the storyline is dictated by real events, not a Disney scriptwriter. It might be a good idea to watch the movie with any preteens though, not only because it's a good film, but also so that you can talk about it afterwards. My son and I really enjoyed 'Bridge to Terabithia', even though it was almost the exact opposite of what we expected given the Disney promotional trailers [and it's not really fair to blame the film or it's creators for that].
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great, moving film - tissues required, but a word of caution, 14 Jan 2008
I won't go into details as other reviewers have done this movie proud, but I just need to add my own words of caution for all parents out there.
We, like others thought we were going to be watching a fantasy similar to Narnia....it is not. It's still a great film, powerful and moving.
However, please assess your own childs maturity to watch this film, because without giving anything away, it will move most adults to tears. My own daughter who is 8 and a half was totally distraught, had I known the content, I would not have let her watch it.
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26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Recommended - Well Worth Watching, 16 Jan 2008
This is an excellent film to watch and I highly recommend it - if you're in the mood for a heart-warming, emotion-pulling family movie. Contrary to what some other reviewers have said, this film DOES have a happy ending, but in order to get to that point you do have to navigate a poignant moment - but this is crucial to the story's ultimate triumph.
The visual effects (done by WETA, who worked on Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Narnia and many more) are very delicately done, like exquisite decoration on a grand tapestry - they are introduced subtly and grow only to enhance the imaginative sequences of the movie and never become the movie (unlike some films which get lost in their own cgi cleverness).
The film itself is expertly played by all the central characters but especially by the two child ones and so it becomes easy to be drawn into both their 'make-believe' and harsher 'real life' worlds.
The storyline develops through alienation, awkwardness, transformation, maturation, sadness, friendship, love and triumph as seen through the eyes and lives of these two children; a down-at-heel boy and a newcomer girl, who are both 'outsiders' in their separate ways but become the best of friends.
I loved this film, it doesn't require too much thinking, yet it conveys the simple beauty of real friendship, and the simple truth that friendships change and in this way it was slightly reminiscent of "Pay It Forward".
The author wrote this story many years ago around events in her own son's life who, now as a grown adult, co-produced and co-wrote the screenplay for this movie, therefore, imparting intimate understandings of the characters that other writers and/or producers would not have been able to convey.
The Special Features are a bit hit and miss; the "Behind the Book" and "Digital Imagination" sections are both informative and worth watching but unfortunately the "Map Quest" is just a waste of time.
Finally, if you've seen the trailer above (as I have just now whist writing this review) please ignore it - the scenes ARE from the movie but it presents a COMPLETELY misleading impression of the film. But don't let that put you off, this is definitely a movie to watch more than once.
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