An impossibly verdant deserted island; a sea lion who understands English;a roguish troupe of knife-wielding poachers – Return to Nim’s Island has all the magic ingredients that give appeal to children’s films. However, its spell is broken by a laboured script and a dose of rather unmagical pre-teen acting.
Bindi Irwin is agile as her simian ancestors when it comes to swinging through trees and she’s clearly been blessed with the animal-handling gift that made her father famous. However, she is yet to grasp the subtleties required of drama.
In this, her debut feature, she plays Nim, the only daughter of Jack (Matthew Lillard). The two of them (Nim’s mother having passed away)inhabit a tree house on a remote, idyllic island, where Nim’s existence consists of roaming the jungles and beaches with her two best friends, Selkie, the sea lion, and Fred, the lizard. Jack, a scientist, spends his days absorbed in the study of protozoa, accompanied by his assistant Felix (Nathan Derrick), whose obsession with order translates to fear of the “chaos” presented by the outdoors.
Based on a novel by Canadian born, Victorian based author Wendy Orr, the film is the sequel to Nim’s Island, which features Abigail Breslin as Nim, Gerard Butler as Jack and Jodie Foster as an eccentric, agoraphobic writer.In the original,Nim confronts invaders in the form ofcruise ship tourists. In the latter, the threat is double-fold:a trio of vagabond poachers is determined to steal as much exotic fauna as they can carry, and a developer is hoping to transform the island into a pirate-themed resort.
While Jack returns to the mainland in an attempt to halt the development, Nim stays home and wrestles with the poachers. Before they arrive, Edmund (Toby Wallace) washes up. He’s a fourteen-year-old boy who has fled home by catching a ride with the vagabonds, and has managed to escape their boat under the cover of night.
Initially, Edmund inspires the fiery, independent Nim’s hostility, but her opinion changes as the action heats up.It’s a relief when it does, as it takes attention away from their rather wooden exchanges, and the film’s entertainment factor increases as the plot gains pace.A few nail-biting moments involving razor-sharp knives, vertigo-inducing rock climbs and sudden fires create some spice, and the poachers’ antics inspire a few laughs. John Waters is fun and convincing as head villain and he and his ill-fated sons are slightly reminiscent of Stephano, Trinculo and Caliban – the raucous trio that provides comic relief in The Tempest.
