I've been away for ages but I'm back with avengence!
I've been away for ages but I'm back with avengence!
Member since:30.11.2005
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I was anxious to see this film with my son because I imagined it to be a similar film to Hook; built on pure fantasy and unadulterated imagination. I expected action, adventure, vibrant colours, happy music, cute baby-faced smiles and funny one-liners. Whatever I had been expecting from this film, it didn’t really fit a mould in the way I had expected.
Director: Gabor Csupo Release Date: May 2007 Genre: Family adventure/Fantasy Certification: PG Runtime: 95 minutes Actors: Josh Hutcherson, Anna Sophia Robb, Bailee Madison, Robert Patrick, Zooey Deschanel
>>>The general gist of it<<< Jesse Aarons is a quiet kid from a hard-working family who gets picked on by the school bullies on a regular basis. On the first day of school after the summer holidays Jesse meets Leslie Burke, his new classmate and neighbour, who out runs him in an important race. It isn’t long before the two become friends and allies indulging in an imaginary world where they can strong and invincible and ultimately, whatever they want to be.
When tragedy strikes, Jesse finds himself struggling to come to terms with the sense of loss and finds he has learnt more than he first thought from his friend.
>>>Who is Gabor Csupo<<< Gabor Csupo is relatively unknown to us perhaps because Bridge to Terabithia is only Csupo’s second Directorial contribution since he directed a little known film called Dance in 1980. However, he has
worked as producer and writer on a number of television series and films, most of which are aimed at the younger audience including The Wild Thornberrys and The Rugrats films. Notably, he has also worked as Animation Director on a number of projects including several episodes of The Simpsons.
>>>Storyline/Script<<< Writers Jeff Stockwell and David Paterson deserve a well-earned pat on the back. All too often scripts for kid’s films read like they are written by adults. The childlike qualities are overplayed condescending to the misconception that kids aren’t smart enough to get deeper or more complex dialogue. Bridge over Terabithia does the opposite. It embraces the power these kids have and the script portrays the emotions involved in growing up, dealing responsibility, happiness, grief and guilt. The two main characters in particular were given freedom through the script to demonstrate that kids know more than adults give them credit for.
It was funny in the write places, heart-wrenching in others and above all, the sentiment of the scene was maintained at all times.
>>>Acting<<< At 15 years of age, Josh Hutcherson who plays Jesse has racked up an impressive CV already. He plays the broody pre-teen that we have grown to expect in these style of films however, to see a young actor who is able to get across the loneliness, sensitivity and compassion that he shows with relatively limited need for dialogue is nothing short of admirable. Having said that the real star of the show for me was Anna Sophia Robb as the quirky and care-free Leslie. You may recognize her from 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in which she played the overly competitive Violet Beauregarde. However, it is possible you wouldn’t simply because this role is so far removed from the giant blueberry she played opposite Johnny Depp. I
n Bridge to Terabithia, the 13 year old performs with an air of confidence that will knock you off your feet. At a first glance, the viewer is taken by her pretty dimpled smile but it isn’t long before we recognize a true wisdom in Anna Sophia that keeps us fixated throughout. I look forward to seeing more of her and with five projects already wrapped up since Bridge to Terabithia; I expect to see her explode onto our screens with true star quality.
I must of course mention the adorable shining star of Bailee Madison who plays Jesse’s younger sister. Instinctively, the viewer is drawn to this sweet, bubbly, funny little jelly-bean of a girl. I am sure cinema-goers world-wide left the theatre with new cavities just from being around this small cherub, but she also displays a real talent to watch out for. In her short but extensive career to date, Bailee has developed a knack for precision timing and bounces off the other characters brilliantly.
Robert Patrick played an excellent exhausted hard-working father to Jesse whose obvious priority is providing for his family and yet he was still able to portray a genuine sense of sensitivity. The only character and performance I wasn’t overly impressed with was that of Ms Edmonds, Jesse’s music teacher and the object of his secret crush. I found her to be relatively hollow in this film and didn’t find the warmth I expected from her to radiate as naturally as it could have.
>>>Cinematography<<< I had expected much more of the trolls, warriors and princesses in this film that there actually was and personally felt they could have made a bit more of the magic kingdom Jesse and Leslie retreated to each day. It was introduced more as a teaser than as a main theme I can understand why. The film would have been completely different if they had chosen to go down this route instead. Although I don’t want to give anything away, the beauty and magic of the last scene alone is enough reason to watch this film. Some of the scenes of the kids running through the forest, climbing trees were shot so well that in themselves they became a part of the magic.
>>>Soundtrack<<< There are a few big orchestra numbers to accompany the Fantasy/Adventure scenes but most memorably are the 60’s protest inspired songs Ms Edmonds sings with her pre-teen class.
>>>My final thoughts<<< As I mentioned in the beginning, this film was nothing like what I expected but yet I felt pleasantly surprised at the end on it. There were a number of important messages throughout this film which I thought were great for kids to know about. The friendship between the two unlikely playmates, the loyalty, honesty and unconditional belief they show in each other is wonderful to see. Sometimes films get jam-packed with the action and adventure and we loose the relationships of the characters in the excitement.
This film had a simple feel to it, a sweet nature, no blood, guts and gore but enough adventure to keep any kid entertained. This is a sensitive and touching offering - be prepared to cry and that is something that comes across so rarely these days, making this a real find.
I expect it will stoke the imagination of many of the kids who watch it and give them the encouragement and belief that they can be whatever they want to be and that sometimes, it's good just to enjoy being a kid doing kid things. A great film I will watch many times again, either with or without my son!
>>>Did you know<<< >The much in demand Dakota Fanning was originally lined up to play the part of Leslie Burke.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
Advantages: Excellent acting, Great story, Good Soundtrack Disadvantages: none
blackmagicstar4 06.04.2009 (06.04.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Bridge To Terabithia (DVD)
Advantages: Excellent acting, Great story, Good Soundtrack Disadvantages: none
blackmagicstar4 06.04.2009 (06.04.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Bridge To Terabithia (DVD)
May 30th, 2007
very helpful by (100%):
