Be the hero of your own story. That's the family-friendly message behind the engaging Nim's Island.
Parents will find it refreshing to watch the antics of a young heroine who has the best traits of childhood and none of the bratty mouthiness of so many youthful roles. As played by Abigail Breslin with her trademark youthful intelligence, Nim is endearing, enthusiastic, resourceful and imaginative, and she's a voracious reader.

Based on the children's novel by Wendy Orr, Nim's Island is a classy old-fashioned adventure tale in the tradition of Ring of Bright Water or The Black Stallion.

Nim, named by her deceased mother, is a winning and winsome 11-year-old who lives on a remote volcanic island with her scientist father. Gerard Butler is appropriately dashing and quite funny in a dual role as her dad and as Alex Rover, the Indiana Jones-like adventure hero of a series of stories that Nim adores. Jodie Foster plays the real Alex (Alexandra) Rover, an agoraphobic San Francisco-based writer who conjures up these tales of derring-do. She and Nim connect, with a little help from technology.

Nim's island is a magical place where a sea lion is her cuddly companion, lizards take part in anti-development schemes and messages are delivered via pelican. Though it's a far-fetched story whose twists and turns are largely predictable, it's such an enjoyable flight of fancy that we happily go along for the ride.

What Nim doesn't realize is that she is more like the courageous adventurer she idolizes than the books' creator. We learn how brave she is when she is forced to spend several days alone on the island, after her father goes off on a scientific quest and is lost at sea.

One of the film's highlights is the relationship between the writer Alex/Alexandra Rover and her fictional character Alex Rover. He is real to her and cajoles the phobic Alex into facing her fears in witty and entertaining ways.

Nim's Island is a win-win proposition: an entertaining, diverting adventure saga that offers excitement and a relatable heroine for children, and also will remind their parents of favorite classics from their own youth.