Brücke nach Terabithia

When Disney agreed to make the movie, did they read the ending?

To be honest it didn't feel like a Disney movie at all, and that's good. It's not a movie for kids, it's a movie for everyone.

The movie is at the same time so distant from reality and yet so close. It all merged so beautifully. This movie touches so many themes at once: friendship, love, family, money, art, creativity, escape, bullying, school, work, kindness, redemption. What a way to learn about all of this.

Jess and Leslie's story is heart-wrenching enough to make a big man cry (not just once). And I'm not a big man. It's all very beautiful.

I don't know about you all but it was great and psychologically destructive to see my childhood's fantasies come to life. What a journey.

I'm not going to talk on that ending because it was a shock. A shock. And I don't think I'm going to be able to recover any time soon.

I guess we all understood a very important thing from this movie: everybody has a crush on Zooey Deschanel.

A very well mastered family movie with a positive message that addresses topical themes for children in a poignant, focused manner. The children depicted are very real and likable (well, except for the ones you're supposed to dislike, that is), and easy to identify with. The movie is a faithful and touching adaptation of the beloved children's classic book.

The two main characters, Jesse and Leslie (splendidly played by John Hucheson and Annasophia Robb) are typical pre-teens, steering their way through the routine ups and downs kids everywhere deal with, and they develop a friendship/first crush due to their common interests and challenges. They find an old tree house, and create a fantasy castle type kingdom complete with magic, and populated by creatures based on people they know. Unlike so many other fantasy movies, this world is just an amusement for them, not a refuge that they actually "enter." The animation effects of this fantasy kingdom are skillfully executed in such a manner as to point out the reality that exists alongside the fantasy. For example: a tree begins to move, comes to life and performs an action, then relaxes back into its "real" position.

The relationships of all the characters, and what they learn from their experiences, are the true focus, with the fantasy sequences only spicing what's happening. There are many themes touched upon: friendship, tragedy, adventure, creativity, bullies, competition, family life, even making an enemy to a friend. I liked all the characters and the actors that played them; each person helped build the story. Emotional, even heart wrenching in one case, this movie is a gem. Highly recommended.

Bridge To Terabithia

I have not read the book and did not see this movie with many expectations.

To begin with, this is a story of Jesse Aarons (Josh Hutcherson). Jesse is the fastest runner in his class and very proud of being so. Frequently picked on by the local bullies, troubled with the financial situation back home and oft ignored by all but one of his 5 sisters, he immerses himself within his drawings as an escape... Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb)is the new-kid in his class. She has a panache for writing which coupled by her ability to outrun all the guys in her class (including Jesse) ensures that she doesn't have the best luck making new friends. However, with their affinity to be picked on, Jesse and Leslie soon find themselves extremely fond of each other and off looking for a place of their own... This is Terabithia...

And this is where I'll end my summary for I do not wish to go into the spoilers for the movie.

All the kids in the movie really shine in their respective roles. As many reviewers have said before me, Josh and AnnaSophia are a wonderful pair! I would also like to mention the young Bailee Madison (playing Josh's younger sister) for her portrayal of May Belle.

However, what truly lifts this movie from "good" to "great" is the simplicity of the whole story. This is a children's movie through and through and but do not expect a typical Disney feel-good comedy. Do not also expect huge CG sequences like say, The Chronicles of Narnia.

This movie is full of heart and everything about it is shown from the eyes of a child. Life, is not a pretty thing and more than the magical kingdom of Terabithia, this is a tale of a young kids' coming to terms with matters of being bullied, being loved, having a true friend and even trying to understand death.

By the end of it all, many people around me were moved to tears and I myself was trying desperately to hold back. The movie, its message and its delivery are all beautiful.

On a critical note, the only thing about the movie that I didn't particularly love was the music. The music in general wasn't very well suited and certain songs were just not needed, but I suppose thats what the MTv culture demands.

In conclusion, I highly recommend it. Go and watch this movie and if you have them, take your children... They'll love it!

9/10

When I sat down to watch Bridge to Terabithia, I did not know quite what to expect. From what I had seen in the trailers, I thought the movie would be about two kids that end up in some magical world, similar to the Chronicles of Narnia (clearly, I did not read the book). Needless to say that I was surprised when actually seeing the movie. I shall not spoil the story for those who have yet to see the movie, but I will say that, in my opinion, this movie is for a more mature audience than one would think. Rather than being a fairytale for youngsters, the movie actually gives the viewer an inside look in a young boy's life and all the troubles he faces, concerning school, family and friends. The setting overall was a lot darker than expected as well. I can be short about the acting. The child-stars that play the lead roles did a great job and really brought the characters to life. On this subject I must give some credit to the director as well, as it is very difficult to work with children and to get them to play the part exactly the way you want them too. One final aspect of the movie that deserves mentioning is the fact that it does not lean on special effects. Although there is a fair amount of nice CGI present in the film, the story dominates. Which in my opinion, is a lot better than the other way around. Overall, I found the movie very enjoyable, but I would advise parents of young children to find out more about the movie, before deciding on whether or not you'll let your kids watch it.

Great movie for all ages I took my five year old and fiancé they loved it.....Josh Hutcherson was great in this and so was Anna Sophia Robb .....People actually cried and clapped after the show it touches your inner child...It will take you through a life experience that not all kids go through in life but you will be absorbed in the film as I was...If you are looking for a great film instead of all the kids movies that rely on jokes that are used over and over ...go to this film and you will be satisfied with drama, light comedy and maybe slight depression of the reality it faces, but your spirit will be lifted as will your child's.