Anything can happen on Nim's Island, a magical place ruled by a young girl's imagination. It is an existence that mirrors that of her favourite literary character, Alex Rover - the world's greatest adventurer. However, Alexandra, the author of the Rover books, leads a reclusive life in the big city. When Nim's father goes missing from their island, a twist of fate brings her together with Alexandra. Now they must draw courage from their fictional hero, Alex Rover, and find strength in each other to conquer Nim's Island.

Aesthetically, "Nim's Island" is quaint, whimsical and perhaps in it's own way, magical. Based on a children's novel by acclaimed writer Wendy Orr, the story is indeed panned out like a storybook. The gorgeous sceneries and tropical personalities which adorn "Nim's Island" remind you of water colour illustrations you find in many children's books. In this aspect, the film adheres to what the book embodies and it is something that its readers can appreciate.

Young actress Abigail Breslin plays Nim, an 11-year-old who lives on an uncharted island with her scientist father Jack, played by Gerard Butler. With a little inspiration from Robinson Crusoe, Nim lives the bohemian life – home-schooled, surrounded by her animal friends and most of all, is full of admiration for her fictional adventure hero Alex Rover.

Breslin is outwardly adorable in this film, and looks genuinely comfortable with the unusual environment that surrounds her character, as well as the island. Her child-like demeanour blesses her with the unique trait that's in tune with family films, something that child actors like Dakota Fanning outgrew far too early for anyone to savour.

With Butler as her father, the two make a blissful parent-child combination. His 'double jeopardy' performance as both Jack and the fictional hero Alex Rover was simply delightful. This film has shown a side of Butler that few have seen and now, it's safe to say he's a multi-talented actor with a knack for different genres.

Nim's life ascends to an adventure of its own when Jack fails to return from sea, and she calls upon the only hero she knows – Alex Rover – to come help her. To her surprise, the hero she has long gushed over arrives in the form of Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster), the reclusive and awkward writer of the Alex Rover books.

Sadly, Foster has been heavily stereotyped as a drama-thriller virtuoso for far too long and her big breakthrough into this children's flick was a rather tipsy affair. She seems uncomfortable in the comedic scenes but excels in areas where she's required to be just ordinary.

Despite its sweet and simple messages, chemistry is one huge factor that the film lacks. The very little screen time both Jack and Nim have together wasn't enough to build up a stalwart relationship. It becomes even odder when Foster's character arrives a little too late into the picture – where all the primary characters intersect – and without enough time, little could be developed.

In the end, some plotlines felt contrived at the last minute and left with little or no progress. An abrupt halt can be felt sometime towards the end where viewers are perhaps expecting a little more to the story (and the hanging subplots) than there is, but alas, it all fell through.

"Nim's Island" has a fun premise that is entertaining and light-hearted, a little reminiscent of "Home Alone" but without an annoying kid. It may not attract many adult viewers, including slightly older kids, but families with young children will enjoy this small, humble adventure with morals.