Story
Return to Nim’s Island opens with 14-year-old Nim (Bindi Irwin) swimming among colourful coral with her best friend, Selkie the sea lion, and collecting protozoa samples for her scientist father, Jack (Matthew Lillard). The only other human inhabitant of Nim’s Island is Jack’s research assistant, Felix (Nathan Derrick). But the island is under threat from developers, who want to buy it and build a resort. Intent on stopping the sale, Jack heads off to mainland Australia to meet with the Minister of the Environment. Nim convinces Jack to leave her on the island with Felix. She intends to prove that three endangered animal species exist on the island, which would ensure the island’s protection from the developers.
Fourteen-year-old Edmund (Toby Wallace) lives on the mainland. He has been planning his own adventure for years, saving his money and buying camping equipment so that he can run away to Nim’s Island. To get to the island, he hires a charter boat captain named Booker (John Waters) and Booker’s two sons (Sebastian Gregory and Jack Pearson). Unfortunately Edmund doesn’t know that the unscrupulous Bookers intend to poach the island’s native and endangered animals.
Edmund and Nim get off to a shaky start when they first meet, but when Edmund proves his usefulness, Nim warms to him. When Booker and his sons start poaching the island’s animals, events take a nasty turn for Nim, Edmund and Felix.
Themes
Endangered species; poaching
Violence
This movie has infrequent violence, which is slapstick and comical at times. For example:
Sexual references
This movie has some low-level sexual references and innuendo. For example:
- Nim says to Felix, ‘Your crush on my dad is so embarrassing’.
- A young man mentions sending his girlfriend a ‘kiss goodnight text’.
- Edmund is talking to Nim’s father and says, ‘I just came here for an adventure with your daughter – no funny stuff’.
- Jack is talking about Edmund staying with Nim and says, ‘I don’t trust teenage boys. I should know – I used to be one’.
- A young man says that his brother has had experience dating ugly animals. The brother says, ‘You should know – your girlfriend looks like a warthog’.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
None of concern
Nudity and sexual activity
None of concern
Product placement
The following products are displayed or used in this movie: Apple computers; Duracell batteries; and Walmart/Ozark Trail outdoor equipment.
Coarse language
This movie has some name-calling and put-downs that children might copy.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Return to Nim’s Island is a sequel to Nim’s Island. It’s a family movie with lots of positive messages about the importance of saving the environment and endangered animals. The movie is likely to entertain older children and young teenagers with its balance of comedy, adventure, suspense, very mild romance and attractive teenage stars.
Despite its G rating, the Classification Board warns that the movie has ‘very mild violence’, and we don’t recommend the movie for children under seven years. It does have some violent scenes, as well as scenes of people and animals in danger. These are likely to scare children under seven years and children slightly older than this, so we also recommend parental guidance for children up to nine years.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include selflessness, problem-solving, courage and perseverance.
You could talk with your children about how Nim is a strong female role model. But you might also want to talk about the possible real-life consequences of putting your life in danger by going up against hardened criminals as Nim does.