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Bridge to Terabithia
This is a very, very good and moving telling of the book. It is one of the films that I've seen in a long time that actually had me to the poitn of tears because of how moving it was. The story is very well done and the acting is very good, I don't know if I agree with the religious talk that was going on in the film, but the fact that it didn't really harp on Christianity was something new for Hollywood.
The story is simply brilliant. The themes that run through it are deep, and it is very well constructed in a wonderful storyline that drifts beautifully between the magic of Terabithia and the real world. The last twenty or so minutes of the film go from ripping at ones heart strings, to being a wonderful, uplifting ending. Even the few semi-cliche parts with the real world (kids at school and the father figure) were better then expected. It stays fairly real, and helps progress the story along very well.
The acting in this film is surprisingly good as well. Normally with films that star kids, you never know exactly what you are going to get. They can be fairly hit or miss because their talent is fairly hit or miss. But this film hits with all three kids that lead off the film. The adults are also solid in the film. Zooey Daschanel is good in her role as the music teacher, but the adults should be overlooked because of how good the kids are in the film. Even the youngest girl "lead" in the film is very good. You connect well with the characters and you feel a whole lot more because they do a good job.
Visually this film is a good as well. The fantasy world of Terabithia that is created is done extremely well with how it works along with the real world. It doesn't require that much change and it is pretty easy to see how the kids had created the world which they did, as I could imagine creating a world like that as when I was a kid.
Overall this is a brilliantly done film. A film that can tug at ones heart strings like this one does without feeling like it is forcing it, is something that comes along too rarely. I highly recommend this film to anyone of any age. Even though it looks like a kids film, adults can feel the impact just as much.
Overall Grade: A-
Story: A
Acting: A-
Audio/Visua: B+
This is a very, very good and moving telling of the book. It is one of the films that I've seen in a long time that actually had me to the poitn of tears because of how moving it was. The story is very well done and the acting is very good, I don't know if I agree with the religious talk that was going on in the film, but the fact that it didn't really harp on Christianity was something new for Hollywood.
The story is simply brilliant. The themes that run through it are deep, and it is very well constructed in a wonderful storyline that drifts beautifully between the magic of Terabithia and the real world. The last twenty or so minutes of the film go from ripping at ones heart strings, to being a wonderful, uplifting ending. Even the few semi-cliche parts with the real world (kids at school and the father figure) were better then expected. It stays fairly real, and helps progress the story along very well.
The acting in this film is surprisingly good as well. Normally with films that star kids, you never know exactly what you are going to get. They can be fairly hit or miss because their talent is fairly hit or miss. But this film hits with all three kids that lead off the film. The adults are also solid in the film. Zooey Daschanel is good in her role as the music teacher, but the adults should be overlooked because of how good the kids are in the film. Even the youngest girl "lead" in the film is very good. You connect well with the characters and you feel a whole lot more because they do a good job.
Visually this film is a good as well. The fantasy world of Terabithia that is created is done extremely well with how it works along with the real world. It doesn't require that much change and it is pretty easy to see how the kids had created the world which they did, as I could imagine creating a world like that as when I was a kid.
Overall this is a brilliantly done film. A film that can tug at ones heart strings like this one does without feeling like it is forcing it, is something that comes along too rarely. I highly recommend this film to anyone of any age. Even though it looks like a kids film, adults can feel the impact just as much.
Overall Grade: A-
Story: A
Acting: A-
Audio/Visua: B+