Ponte para Terabítia

I have read about 30 reviews on here about this movie, many of them saying this film is not for kids. While I do understand where some parents may be coming from, I have to disagree. I personally read this book when I was in 5th grade. That was 11 years ago, yet somehow that book still sticks in my mind. I honestly had completely forgotten what the book was about, but I remember it being about two kids. Therefore, seeing the movie was like experiencing the story all over again. I DO think this is a good movie for children 10+. Like I already mentioned I was 11 when I read the book for the first time and I remember it having quite a positive impact on me. I didn't remember the novel or what it was about, however I did remember that it touched me in a way that very few books ever did. Kids 10+ need to see this movie.

Death is not something to fear. It is just a passing from one stage in life to the next.

Jesse Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) is picked on at school, and is forced to wear his sister's hand-me-down sneakers. His father (Robert Patrick) is a poor farmer. Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb) is new in school. Jesse strives to be the fastest runner but then he gets beat by the new girl. It turns out that she's their neighbor. She is an imaginative writer and he's constantly drawing in his book. He's infatuated with the music teacher Ms. Edmunds (Zooey Deschanel). At first, he doesn't like the new girl but he finds her to be a fellow traveler bullied by the other kids. Together, they find a worn out rope swing. They create the imaginary fantasy land of Terabithia just across the creek.

There is a big twist in the movie that turns this into something more than a run-of-the-mill kids movie. It's a fine kids movie for most of the film with great performances from Hutcherson and especially Robb. It's not too sugary. The characters have great personalities and good emotions. It's not the first time that this twist happened in a family movie. It is a big surprise when it happens because it's not really hinted at. This one is done well.

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.

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 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.