Bridge To Tarabithia

By: The Dweeb

DVD Features Video: 1.85:1 Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0,   French Dolby Digital 2.0 Digital Imagination: Bringing Terabithia to Life Behind the Book: The Themes of Bridge To Terabithia Music Video “Keep Your Mind Wide Open” Performed by Anna Sophia Robb Audio Commentary with Director Gabor Csupo, Writer Jeff Stockwell and Producer Hal Lieberman Audio Commentary with Actors Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb and Producer Lauren Levine Theatrical release: 2/16/2007 DVD released on 6/19/2007 by Disney/Buena Vista Running time of 96   minutes Starring:  Robert Patrick, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Josh Hutcherson Director: Gabor Csupo Plot: Tired of being bullied at school and neglected at home, Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke escape into the woods, where Leslie opens Jess’s mind to the amazing kingdom of Terabithia. It’s a secret land where they reign supreme among the giants, ogres and other fantastical creatures they create. As their imaginations soar and their friendship deepens, they discover how to rule their own kingdom, fight the forces of darkness and change their lives forever.

Hot on the heels of another childrens fantasy with The Chronicles of Narnia, Disney and Walden Media team up again to adapt Bridge to Tarabithia to the big screen. This time, the film is rooted more in the real world than a fantasy, but provides a compelling relationship story among friends and immediate family. It is a childrens movie, but more for the tween set as it explores some themes that the little ones would not understand. In fact it is actually a tragic story, relatively new territory for Disney. Based on the novel of the same name, the basic premise of the film is that being a kid can be a tough growing experience, and it shapes us into who we are later in life.

The film is focuses on two kids in late grade school who are outcasts, both from the social network at school and even at home. To help deal with the daily grind that is their lives, they run off into the woods each day creating their own fantasy world to deal with solving their problems. Anyone who watches this film young and old can relate to this. At some point you have a traumatic experience growing up and knows exactly what these two feel. Kids can be mean on the playground, I know!

The two characters, Jesse (Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie (AnnaSophia Burke) form a bond as the film explores the two worlds they come to inhabit. In the real world, life is dreary and faded. Only until they enter the fantasy of Tarabithia does it spring to life in rich vibrancy. The book itself does not go into depth here, so it was up to the filmmakers to make it come to life. The crafty folks at WETA (of Lord Of The Rings fame) had no problem whipping this one together, and yet they were mindful not to turn it into a CGI cheesefest either.

As expected the technical aspects for the DVD are excellent. Being partly in the digital realm lends a certain crispness to the image. This DVD is however lacking in extra content worth viewing. Much of it consists of trailers and ads for other Disney properties which is too much in my opinion. Besides two audio commentary tracks, they only include a promotional music video and a short featurette just skimming the surface of this film. I imagine that the folks at Disney have another edition up their sleeves sometime later.

Reviewer’s Opinion: RENT IT!!