Beautiful
Added 10/17/2009
Good Movie
Mainly it was the characters especialy AnnaSophia Robb (Leslie Burke)that i liked most about the movie The Characters i thought were all likable and, and the friendship between Leslie and Jess felt real,. The Movie looked very good too, the river the two kids crossed was very tranquil looking with the sun coming down on it and the CGI was used very sparingly which was nice, Other reviewers have also pointed out that the movie was advertised as though it were a special effects laiden fantasy film like the "The Adventures of Narnia" or somthing like that whcih was,nt the case.
Definetly a movie to see, but keep a few tissues handy
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It could have been so much more
Added 9/28/2009
Many have complained that "Bridge to Terabithia" was falsely advertised. They are correct. There is actually very little fantasy in the movie. And if that's the reason you sat down to watch this movie, it is especially disappointing because you keep waiting for something bigger to happen--and it never does. Really, it's just two kids running through a forest and imagining that giant squirrels are chasing them.
I'm actually surprised at all the raving reviews. I personally thought it was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It was a terrible disappointment; the plot flow was bad, and the story seemed to keep going in circles with no real point. There was potential there, but it never came to fruition. I am sure this was a fine book, but Disney really did a terrible job here.
Because I kept waiting for a grand fantasy world (did I mention that doesn't happen?), I grew more and more bored as the movie progressed. At this point, it becomes easy to nitpick at the flaws in the story. Like how the school, its students, and its faculty seemed to be in some kind of bizzaro world where teachers turn a blind eye to some very obvious physical bulling, well-behaved kids are falsely accused and punished because adults will apparently believe any child that has a scowl and dark circles under their eyes, and female teachers take their male students out on a "special private field trip" over the weekend. Yeah. I would have glossed over the inconsistencies with reality had the story been decent. Unfortunately, it was not.
Now, of course, the big "plot twist." I thought the movie was just plain mediocre up until this point, but this one really took the cake. I am not opposed to character death, but in the context of this movie's plot (and again, I'm sure the book did better justice to this), that plot twist was poorly done, meaningless, and very depressing. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how so many others have enjoyed this movie so much. It's really shocking to me.
Either way, view this movie at your own risk. Obviously, many have enjoyed it. Although it says "children aged 7 and up," I honestly would only bring older children who have a decent handle on death and are NOT expecting to watch the Chronicles of Narnia. This is not a "feel good" movie, nor is it very fantastical. It also has a horrible pop-rock song awkwardly stuck in one of the scenes that would have done better without it. So if you don't mind a broken storyline, poorly placed abstract themes that never come together, and a depressed mood at the end, then be my guest and pick this one up.
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The 1 Star Reviews Hate Misleading Trailers, but Don't Mind Spoilers
Added 9/21/2009
"Bridge to Terabithia" is one of the most affecting coming-of-age movies I have ever seen that is not afraid to treat its target audience like intelligent human beings. Performances by all the actors is uniformly excellent, from Hutcherson's moody and introverted Jess to Patrick's turn as the conflicted father. I'm typically annoyed by Hollywood childrens movies, which condescend the viewer, and sanitize the violence, despite the fact there is violence nonethless. "Bridge to Terabithia" does give me some faith it is possible to make an intelligent childrens movie.
But two can play at the game where its Ok to reveal the death of a main character in reviews. In "Narnia", a lion bites the villain in the face and she dies. There is also a brutal scene where a mob gathers to cheer as one character stabs another to death with a knife. Fear not though, for death in fantasy is never permanant. The death in "Bridge to Terabithia" does not even occur onscreen and is only described in vague detail. The crying and tears really comes from watching the others being forced to deal with survivor's guilt.
I should be reviewing the movie and not the other reviewers, but it just cannot be helped, since it's very telling that they hate a trailer that doesn't reveal things about the movie they are watching, but they are perfectly Ok with spoilers. People are mad this wasn't "Narnia". They went to go see it thinking it was. I find it dismaying that people would consciously spend 12 dollars to go see more of the same thing, rather than be pleasantly surprised that they saw something thought provoking. Genres shouldn't matter. Whether you saw a good movie or not is what matters.
"Bridge to Terabithia" should come with a warning: Not appropriate for audiences too afraid to form a connection with the characters they are watching.
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Imaginative and Moving
Added 9/12/2009
This is one of the most intelligent, moving "children's" films I have ever seen. I took my four-year-old. He was scared at times, but not so scared that he insisted on leaving, as he did with Ratatouille. He paid close attention and afterward said he enjoyed it a lot. The acting and direction are excellent, the visual imagination is impressive, and the character-driven story is from the heart. Most viewers will cry at the end, but the filmmakers earn the audience's tears with honest emotion rather than cheap, manipulative sentimentality. An interesting element, seldom seen in mainstream American films, is the exposition of Jess's family's Christianity and Leslie's family's secularism. As engaging for adults as it is for children, I highly recommend this. Disclaimer: I have not read the book, so can't say whether, as is so often the case, the film compares unfavorably.
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great movie
Added 9/10/2009
it gets sad but all n all its a must see for the young at heart
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N I C E.....L I T T L E....M O V I E !!!!! : )
Added 11/7/2009
LITTLE MANHATTAN is a story of an 11-year old boy and a 12-year-old girl who meet in a karate class on the upper west side of Manhattan, and find themselves to be very attracted to one another.
The upper west side of Manhattan, actually, is mostly populated by
middle-upper and middle-middle income people. And this film shows people who are just that: not wealthy enough to ignore life's problems, and not so poor they are over-whelmed by them.
The girl, Rosemary, (played by CHARLIE RAY), has parents slightly better off than the boy's, Gabe's, (JOSH HUTCHERSON's) -- her parents are the producers of a daytime soap opera, modeled after a real-life soap opera of the '80s, "Santa Barbara"). The two have several "dates", of sorts, (the type 11 and 12 year olds usually have...including one which is a dinner-date with her parents). They meet a neighbourhood bully, and have "angst". All through this movie, is a quirky, "The Wonder Years"-style narration by Gabe,
If you liked "The Wonder Years", you will definitely like -- or maybe even love -- this movie.
To me, the highlight of this DVD is towards the beginning of "Chapter 8". As Gabe and Rosemary traverse a bicycle lane near a New York highway, one can just catch a fleeting glimpse of what looks to be the old Elmhurst Gas Tanks. The Elmhurst Gas Tanks were HUGE, cylindrical structures, by which many people, (including myself), used to gauge our distances, going to and from Manhattan to the other boroughs. Sadly, the Elmhurst Gas Tanks were torn down several years back -- and the glimpse of them in this film is fleeting, (VERY fleeting), at best....but I found myself repeating this sequence, over and over, just to get that glimpse!
The Rosemary-Gabe story is sweet, cute, sometimes surprising, sometimes agonizing -- and always, always very real. It is a satisfying movie, with NO four-letter-words, and NO dysfunctional families, (excepting the fact that Gabe's parents are going through a rather amicable divorce.) It is credibly, (and often, winningly), acted, by all concerned. You want all the best for all the characters here -- especially Gabe. If you like "nice" movies, that are involving, sweet, and touching, (as well as at times being
exciting -- like that fight with the bully), and warm, (as when Gabe's father finds out where Gabe has been the day Gabe didn't tell his dad where he was going), you'll truly enjoy this movie. It brings back much of the certainty, the uncertainty, and the sweetness of childhood. I'm glad a sequel was made of this movie.
I definitely want to see it, as well!
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"to live, to love to be young"
Added 8/26/2009
I ran across this film today and it caught my attention with the New York scenery and the Wonder Years type approach. To my surprise I was captivated by the two youngs subjects of this film and found myself like some of the other reviewers, laughing out loud, a little misty-eyed and remembering my young years growing up in NY. These 2 main characters in my opinion were very good actors and really captured the feelings they were trying to get across on screen. (I wonder if they were also from NY). I would recommend this film to any family that likes the nostalgic type films that take you back to the times of your own life. Very enjoyable film...
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Family Fun
Added 7/29/2009
"Little Manhattan" is charming family entertainment. It is the story of "first love" between two eleven year olds who were together in Kindergarten and become re-united as unlikely karate sparring partners. Until that time, Gabe is convinced that all girls carry "cooties" (though he does not know what they are). The more he is around Rosemary the more enchanted he becomes and he admires her superior karate skills. The story takes place against the backdrop of Manhattan and the two explore parts of the city together.
The story is told from Gabe's perspective and encompasses all the agonies of youth trying to decipher deep meanings from every gesture and word. He is on a perpetual see-saw of emotion. She is a mature young girl, likes him and is honest about her feelings.
It is light, realistic and very well done. It will probably remind you of some of your own memorable childhood experiences.
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