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House review of Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

“What if there was a magical kingdom that only we knew about?”

The imagination of a child can be a fantastical thing, allowing them to be completely free of the constraints of the real world, in their heads they can have wild adventures, invisible friends or even create whole new magical worlds. Some of the best films, like Jaws and Alien, have acknowledged that no amount of effects can better a vivid imagination, instead choosing to simply hint at possibilities and let our minds do the rest. So in an age where most children’s films feel bloated with CGI (Chronicles of Narnia and Eragon), it’s great to see a film that celebrates imagination, encouraging the audience to leave their minds wide open and simply imagine.

Adapted from Katherine Paterson’s novel of the same name (a modern classic all school children should read), ‘Bridge to Terabithia’ follows the friendship of two outsiders Jess and Leslie whom, harshly treated in the real world, decide to invent their own imaginary kingdom, Terabithia. Instead of being bullied by other kids, here they are valiant defenders of the righteous, defending ‘Terabithians’ from ‘The Dark Master’ and his wicked creatures.

Similar to Peter Jackson’s excellent ‘Heavenly Creatures’, director Gábor Csupó’s magical film does a great job of evoking that sense of childhood where the entire world is your playground and anything seems possible. Through sparing use of special effects, we are given brief glimpses of the magical kingdom of Terabithia, where, squirrels can become raging “squogres” (part squirrel, part troll), tree’s can be giant stomping trolls and a mere piece of rope, the entrance to a magical world. Scaling back on the CGI, we are instead encouraged to join Leslie and Jess as they create an entire world simply by using their limitless imaginations.

Bridge to Terabithia, is a simple, unpretentious and most importantly, entertaining adaptation of a classic book, that can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike. It’s a welcome change from the superfluous ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Harry Potter’ clones that have plagued the Cineplex’s in recent years, which refreshingly encourages the audience to use their own imaginations rather than numbing them with hollow GCI. It’s a perfect example of how less is frequently more.

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Film Rating: 5.5/10 (14 votes cast)

Reviewed by Murphy
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