"Bridge to Terabithia" (2007)
Rated: PG
STARRING: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick
SUMMARY: A boy with no friends is befriended by a girl with no friends, and together they create the magical world of Terabithia deep in the woods away from the real world and all their problems.
I've cried in two movies in my entire life. This isn't one of them. But it came close. The two movies were "Enemy At The Gates" and "Click." But movies that almost make me cry are sometimes even better. Crying is a release. The emotion in your chest wells up so much until you just can't take it anymore. When you almost cry though, the emotion stays there, fermenting, maturing, making you better.
This movie almost made me cry. But you know what I absolutely hate? I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY! It would ruin the entire thing. Needless to say, I think you should see this movie. Now, here's why:
Every once in a while, a child actor comes on to the scene that steals your heart. AnnaSophia Robb is my personal favorite of "kids" that category (she'll be 14 this December). She was a real pain in the butt in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," but in this movie, she's the girl EVERY SINGLE GUY in the entire world wishes he grew up with. To put in words that cannot be misunderstood: SHE FREAKING ROCKS. Josh Hutcherson, who I've never seen before, is also surprisingly good as the main character. A lot rides on his shoulders in this movie, and he pulls it off. And for the "aw" factor, enter seven-year-old Bailee Madison who breaks your heart. You just want to eat her up…but that would be wrong…you don't eat children….that's bad (legally I had to put that in).
My biggest qualm with this movie has almost nothing to do with the movie itself. I think the marketing department for this movie should not only be fired, but never work again. It drives me absolutely insane when companies market their movies in a way that gives a completely wrong impression of what the movie is. The theatrical trailer for this movie made me think that it was just a rip off of "Chronicles of Narnia." Two kids go into a magical land, and adventure ensues. The trailer goes like this: Two kids race down a deserted road. The come to a creek with a rope hanging from a tree. They swing across, and as soon as they're across they are confronted with all these magical things. The captions read, "Somewhere beyond the road, Somewhere beyond the stream, Something incredible is waiting to be found." And then you are hit with a barrage of fantasy images of trolls, and giant squirrel things, and armies of dragonflies, and stuff like that. The trailer makes the audience thing that the story is about Terabithia. IT"S NOT!
The story is not about Terabithia. It's about these two kids and their friendship and them dealing with a less than ideal childhood. Only about 15% of the movie actually takes place in Terabithia. Terabithia is a tool used to communicate how much these kids want to escape their real life. It's not an actual place like Narnia.
What the story is, actually, is a very emotional tale about two kids who don't fit in (hmm, I wonder why I love it so much). And it's good. Very good. Every kid, especially the outcasts, should see this movie.
The direction and writing were solid, as this story requires. There was one little camera placement issue and an editing foul up that I really noticed, but they didn't really take me out the story. The visual effects (again done by WETA Digital who did "Narnia" and "Lord of the Rings") are top notch, and, even though I said Terabithia isn't the story, there are plenty of opportunities for WETA to shine in this movie. The music is very good. The composer has done quite a bit of work, but nothing that really stood out to me. He's won two BMI music awards and an Emmy, but not for stuff that I really know. Hopefully, this will be the start to a more visible career for him.
Content: This movie was made for kids, and the content reflects that. Some minor language and some fantasy violence, but nothing too intense. The intensity comes from the story itself. Some younger kids might not be up for some of the more emotional moments. There's also one scene in which the kids debate the nature of God. I have some friends who I know have taken issue with the scene, but personally I think it's a very important scene for adults, maybe not kids, but for adults to see. It calls attention to something very important in Christian theology that I think a lot of Christians miss. But like I said, kids might not be ready for the question raised in the scene.
I loved this movie, probably even more that I would have if it had been a fantasy film in a fuller sense (I'm kind of a fantasy/science fiction nut). The story alone makes it worth seeing, but the performance, especially by Robb and Madison make it a must see.
OVERALL: 7.5
LANGUAGE: 2
VIOLENCE: 2
GORE: 1
SEXUALITY: 0.5
NUDITY: 0
