Boy, what a wonderful experience I just had.. It's not very common for great films to come out in the first couple months of the year, but Disney's latest is one of the most wonderful family films I've seen in quite some time.
If there is any way I could briefly describe this film, I'm very surprised to find myself saying that it's basically a family-friendly version of "Pan's Labyrinth." In "Pan's," Ofelia is a girl who escapes the troubles she faces in the real world by traveling into the woods and letting the magical world she discovers take her over. In this film, Jesse and Leslie escape the problems they face both at school and at home by traveling into the woods to a magical world where they are capable of anything.
Like with "Pan's Labyrinth," the viewer will probably be surprised by how the majority of the film takes place in the real world instead of in the fantasy world that you expected to see lots of. However, the scenes that involve reality truly are the most magical parts. Josh Hutcherson and Annasophia Robb may not get Oscar recognition in the near future, but their two personalities flood on screen and are very impressive for kids their age. They give very relatable performances as kids who want to know that there is more to the world than what they are forced to stare eye and eye with every day.
The rest of the cast is wonderful as well, including some very nice performances from the other school kids (although the school scenes sometimes get too unrealistic as some things that happen at that school just don't happen in real life), Zooey Deschanel as the music teacher of Jesse and Leslie (you may remember her as the love interest of Will Ferrell in "Elf"), as well as the four parents of these two children. Nothing here is close to extraordinary when you compare it to some of the performances that are competing at the Oscars this year, but for a family film they are definitely all the film needs.
This film is not as good as "Pan's Labyrinth," as that film really touched me more and had a more realistic touch when you consider the very unrealistic and fantasy plot, not to mention some of the fantastic performances from the cast, but this truly is better than many of the family movies out today (I can say without hesitation that this is much better fantasy family fare than the likes of recent films such as "Eragon" and "Happily N'Ever After," two films that exploit action and comedy, respectively, to entertain the viewer). This film touches base with real emotions and has some moments that will at least make you teary-eyed. For a family film, it has some very serious plot material.
There may be enjoyable family films that come out later in this year, such as "Shrek the Third" and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," and I know that I'll definitely be seeing both of those movies. But if you want to see a film that truly moves you in the way that movies rarely do, "Bridge to Terabithia" is a film that you should not miss.
A-
If there is any way I could briefly describe this film, I'm very surprised to find myself saying that it's basically a family-friendly version of "Pan's Labyrinth." In "Pan's," Ofelia is a girl who escapes the troubles she faces in the real world by traveling into the woods and letting the magical world she discovers take her over. In this film, Jesse and Leslie escape the problems they face both at school and at home by traveling into the woods to a magical world where they are capable of anything.
Like with "Pan's Labyrinth," the viewer will probably be surprised by how the majority of the film takes place in the real world instead of in the fantasy world that you expected to see lots of. However, the scenes that involve reality truly are the most magical parts. Josh Hutcherson and Annasophia Robb may not get Oscar recognition in the near future, but their two personalities flood on screen and are very impressive for kids their age. They give very relatable performances as kids who want to know that there is more to the world than what they are forced to stare eye and eye with every day.
The rest of the cast is wonderful as well, including some very nice performances from the other school kids (although the school scenes sometimes get too unrealistic as some things that happen at that school just don't happen in real life), Zooey Deschanel as the music teacher of Jesse and Leslie (you may remember her as the love interest of Will Ferrell in "Elf"), as well as the four parents of these two children. Nothing here is close to extraordinary when you compare it to some of the performances that are competing at the Oscars this year, but for a family film they are definitely all the film needs.
This film is not as good as "Pan's Labyrinth," as that film really touched me more and had a more realistic touch when you consider the very unrealistic and fantasy plot, not to mention some of the fantastic performances from the cast, but this truly is better than many of the family movies out today (I can say without hesitation that this is much better fantasy family fare than the likes of recent films such as "Eragon" and "Happily N'Ever After," two films that exploit action and comedy, respectively, to entertain the viewer). This film touches base with real emotions and has some moments that will at least make you teary-eyed. For a family film, it has some very serious plot material.
There may be enjoyable family films that come out later in this year, such as "Shrek the Third" and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," and I know that I'll definitely be seeing both of those movies. But if you want to see a film that truly moves you in the way that movies rarely do, "Bridge to Terabithia" is a film that you should not miss.
A-