Review

Review Date: 19-February-07
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Just OK

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

Unfortunately, "Bridge to Terabithia" isn't what I thought it was going to be based on the trailer, which showed a girl and boy venturing into the woods and discovering a hidden world. My hopes ran along the lines of magical creatures, heroic adventures, and an imperiled princess or two, but in fact the movie tells a coming-of-age story like the ones on which you wrote book reports in the seventh grade. The protagonist, Jesse (Josh Hutcherson), has only his family and schoolyard demons to slay, and he must be led to the well of imagination by his newfound friend Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb). In the end he saves only himself, and maybe his cute kid sister (Bailee Madison) in lieu of a princess.

Likening a movie to a novel geared for preteens isn't necessarily a judgment of its quality, and indeed the weakness, not the nature, of "Bridge to Terabithia" dampens its effect. (It began as a novel for preteens by Katherine Paterson.) As soon as you realize it's not a fantasy, the familiar pieces fall into place and even the emotions begin to feel formulaic. You know just how it will go for Jesse and his stern, over-practical father (Robert Patrick) and for the neanderthal bully girl who terrorizes the kids' class. You know for sure that Jesse will learn Important Life Lessons from every arty bohemian he meets, including Leslie, her parents, and a music teacher (Zooey Deschanel) who takes him under her wing most unconvincingly. You're cajoled into shedding a tear at the hardest lesson he undergoes, but it's given in obedience rather than heartfelt sorrow. The only aspect of the film that seems pure is Hutcherson's performance. He played a much less vulnerable boy in last year's "Zathura" and here broadens his range to display a genuine talent.

Copyright © 2007 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.