Bridge to Terabithia

Stateside rural fifth-formers Jess Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb) look a little too old to be playing make-believe, but let’s overlook that… Leslie’s fertile imagination gets the better of new-found friend Jess when she introduces him to a fantasy world on the other side of a stream. A secret place filled with weird, imaginary creatures, Terabithia proves an ideal retreat for the kids and a perfect environment in which to drum up the courage to face down school bully, Janice. But tragedy strikes…

Gabor Csupo’s directorial debut – based on a ’70s book by Katherine Paterson – is an affecting inquest into the nature of courage, mortality, grief and the healing power of faith. It’s also a fresh take on the fantasy genre. Where film franchises like ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Harry Potter’ are set in an alternative reality, here the realm of fantasy is purely a state of mind that helps the children make decisions back in the real world. The CGI effects are competent enough and it all unfolds at an agreeable pace, but it’s the kids’ universally distinctive performances that impress most.