Simon Dillon reviews the film

First, a note to parents: if your children are expressing an interest in seeing this film, I would strongly recommend checking it out yourself first. Bridge to Terabithia is suitable for family audiences, but there are two reasons it would be good to be prepared. First, the marketing is misleading. Although this film appears to be another children's fantasy, in fact it is something quite different. Secondly, and more importantly, an unexpected turn in the latter stages of the film may prove too much for the certain temperaments and cause parents to have to answer some awkward questions (as I left the cinema I saw at least one rather traumatised child in the audience whose parents had obviously been expecting something like The Never Ending Story).

Bridge to Terabithia is an adaptation of the popular US children's book by Katherine Paterson from the 1970's. I haven't read it, but although this film version has been updated to the present day, it still feels as though its set in a pre-iPod age - a bygone era (which some of us still remember) when children were allowed to play outside and climb trees because parents weren't paranoid about health and safety or paedophiles.

Eleven year old Jesse Aarons is the middle child in a family of six. Their parents are struggling to make ends meet, and he feels estranged from his world-weary father. At school he is good at art, but has to deal with bullies and a crush on his music teacher. Most humiliatingly of all, he wants to be a runner, but Leslie, the new girl in his class, beats him in a race.

However, Leslie is a free-spirited and highly imaginative girl who soon befriends Jesse and inspires him to stand up to the bullies. She also encourages him to pursue his artwork and during their games in the woods, they imagine the world of Terabithia - an enchanted kingdom filled with giants, armies mounted on dragonflies, armoured squirrels and a Dark Master, who has stolen the crown from the rightful rulers.

The various events in Terabithia are (presumably) intended to be allegorical of what is happening in Jesse's life, and for the most part, the film succeeds in being a delightful children's fantasy. The characters are engaging, and the performances are all very good. Josh Hutcherson and especially AnnaSophia Robb are excellent as Jesse and Leslie respectively. Solid support is provided by Robert Patrick (the T-1000 from Terminator 2) playing Jesse's father, and as Jesse's little sister May, Bailee Madison reminded me of the young Drew Barrymore in ET (I can't think of a higher compliment).

However, just before the end, events take a sudden and tragic turn, and at this point, I suggest that if you intend to see the film, to do so then return to this review, as I cannot discuss the story any further without spoiling the end to some degree.

The death of a major character causes the film to have a somewhat uneven feel, and frankly, I wasn't sure whether Bridge to Terabithia had earned the right to tackle such a difficult issue. I understand the novel was originally conceived as a fable to help children overcome the death of a loved one, but although director Gabor Csupo has crafted an atmospheric and likable picture, it didn't feel as though enough momentum had been built for such a hefty dramatic turn. Don't get me wrong: I'm all for tackling difficult subjects in children's stories, but death has been dealt with far more effectively in other works - Bambi, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and the Harry Potter series for instance.

On the plus side, there are many positive references to Christianity, including to God and Jesus. And whilst a theological debate on whether or not God "damns people to hell" might prove a thorny knot to unpick with one's children, it is refreshing to see child characters who say things like "the whole Jesus thing is so cool" with such conviction. And there are many other redemptive elements. Eventually, Jesse's father is the one who is able to comfort Jesse and reassure him that the dead character is safe in God's hands.

In short, this is a surprisingly brave and worthwhile children's film, but one that ultimately bites off more than it can chew. It's well worth a look, but don't expect the masterpiece many critics are claiming it to be.