Nim’s Island

Mazur, P. (Producer), & Flackett, J., Levin, M. (Director).  (2008).  Nim’s Island [Motion Picture].  United States of America: Walden Media. 

Plot description:

Nim’s mother is an oceanographer and her father is a marine biologist.  One day, Nim’s mother goes missing, so her and her dad, Jack, look for her on their island in the South Pacific.  While they are there, a Galileo pelican teacher her gravity, Sulky the sea lion teaches her how to swim, and she learns many other things through books.  Supply ships bring Nim and Jack the supplies they cannot make, including books, magazines, and seeds for the garden.  Alex Rover is a woman who reads one of Jack’s articles about volcanoes and emails him for help on one of her books; Nim checks Jack’s email and replies back.  During that time, Jack looks for microorganisms but is caught in a large storm which wrecks his ship in the ocean.  How will Nim save Jack, and what adventures might she have on the way?

Brief Review: 

I truly enjoyed this movie.  I found the use of advertising material in the movie somewhat annoying, like the Mac computers and Random House Publishing, yet there were so few that they did not distract from the movie.  I thought this movie portrayed many important values, including facing your fears.  The movie also highlighted the need for protection, both home and family; by showing the need to protect both of these; the movie explained how important these are to people.  I thought this movie was well written, and the music brought much to the experience.  Overall, the movie left me with a feeling of happiness, which was wonderful to experience.

           

Genre Label:

Movie, adventure

Interest Level:

4^th – 6^th grade

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