NIM’S ISLAND
RYAN: It’s about time Jodie Foster made a kids’ movie. I mean, wasn’t the last one “Freaky Friday”?
CAROLINE: See, I don’t really think it’s about time. I’d much rather see her stick to her usual dramatic roles. She’s best at those.
RYAN: Maybe, but she was so great in “Nim’s Island.” She’s looking fabulous and fit and she was so funny as an hysterical agoraphobe.
CAROLINE: She’s obviously a really good actress, but I just didn’t buy her in this role. And the comedy she was supposed to be doing was so lame that I felt like even she was struggling with it.
RYAN: We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. I thought her timing was perfect and she’s a brilliant comic actress. But let’s not forget Gerard Butler, who looks so hot that I often couldn’t pay attention to what he was saying.
CAROLINE: He doesn’t have a full command of his American accent just yet, but he’s lookin’ good.
RYAN: I saw this movie with my friend Tammy, and in one Gerard Butler scene, I exclaimed, “Oh!” out loud, and she said, “I know,” and I said, “Those eyes!” And she was like, “Oh, I was reacting to his message about courage.” It was hilar.
CAROLINE: Meanwhilst, lil’ Abigail Breslin, who was excellent in the last two movies we saw her in, didn’t show her finest acting abilities here. I didn’t always believe her character.
RYAN: Here we can agree. I doubt she’ll receive an Oscar nod for this performance.
CAROLINE: [laughs’ Hardly. She’s better at the dramas. I just didn’t buy her childish excitement.
RYAN: Basically this movie is “Home Alone” on an island instead of in the suburbs.
CAROLINE: Totally. And to say that the things that happen in this movie are implausible is the understatement of the century. At age 11, Abigail Breslin has the survival skills of a Marine. I mean, seriously – she scales a volcano? By herself? Absurd.
RYAN: Whatever! It’s a fantasy children’s movie. She also has a sea lion and pelican that she talks to. You have to suspend your disbelief.
CAROLINE: Speaking of which, how horrible was that fake pelican? They should have put a little more dough into the special effects budget.
RYAN: Agreed. Bottom line?
CAROLINE: I was sad to see Jodie Foster doing this kind of movie. She probably did it for her kids, but it was just painful to watch this outstanding actress do dumb, slapsticky, kid humor. She was OK at it, but not nearly as good as she is in a drama.
RYAN: I, on the other hand, really loved the spirit of this film. It has an excellent message. It was short and sweet. It’s not going to make my top 10 of the year or anything, but even though Abigail Breslin didn’t work for me, I loved seeing two of my favorite actors, Jo Fo and Gerard Butler. I could watch them read the phone book.
CAROLINE: I guess I’m going back to my old stance, which is “I don’t like kids’ movies.” And this one is no exception.