Story

Themes

Endangered species; poaching

Violence

This movie has infrequent violence, which is slapstick and comical at times. For example:

• In a couple of scenes, Edmund’s parents have heated arguments and shout at each other. Edmund gets upset, packs his bags and runs away.
• In one slapstick scene, a seal shoves Felix with its nose, pushing him over a bench in a laboratory. A liquid nitrogen cylinder accidentally goes off. It freezes the seat of Felix’s pants and makes the material break and crumble away, showing his underpants beneath.
• In a comical scene, a swarm of bees attacks three men. The bees drive the men into the sea, and the men slap at their heads and bodies as they run. After the attack, one of the men appears badly stung. His face is covered in lumps, and his eyes are swollen shut.
• Booker threatens Nim with a hunting knife. He says, ‘I’ve gutted fish bigger than you’. Nim throws a rock at Booker’s face, and he falls over. A bookcase falls on top of him.
• A man threatening Nim with a hunting knife says that he’ll hurt Nim’s seal if Nim doesn’t do what she’s told.
• Nim and Edmund edge their way across a cliff face. Rocks fall from above and threaten to knock them off the cliff. Edmund slips and falls, but Nim grabs him by the shirt collar. While they’re trying to squeeze through a narrow fissure in the cliff face, Booker throws large rocks from above, narrowly missing them. Booker also throws flaming branches into the fissure’s entrance, trapping Nim and Edmund.
• Jack comes up behind Booker, hits him over the head with a log and then punches him in the face, knocking him out.

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.