Movie Review: Bridge to Terabithia

Movie Review: Bridge to Terabithia                                                                                                   5-31-19

Warning! This review contains spoilers for Disney's Bridge to Terabithia!

Jess Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) has a tough life: He has four sisters with varying ages, an outdated greenhouse, bullies at school, and a new female student who's better than him at everything. Eventually, Jess makes friends with the new girl Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb) and together, they create an imaginary world in the forest called Terabithia, a magical place filled with fantastic creatures like dragonfly warriors, squirrel/ogre hybrids, ugly bloodthirsty birds, and a female troll. As their imagination soars and their friendship deepens, Jess and Leslie learn how to rule their kingdoms as king and queen, fight the forces of darkness, and change their lives forever.

At first glance, Bridge to Terabithia looks like your typical run-off-the-mill fantasy movie like Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia. However, upon further inspection, it's closer to Middle School: Worst Years of My Life than, say, A Wrinkle in Time or Harry Potter. Terabithia is not a real place: It's basically the woods in their own town, but the characters and plots are all made from Jess and Leslie's vivid imagination and personal lives. The troll, for example, is based upon local bully Janice Avery.

Janice ordering Leslie to 'pay to pee'.

Much like The Lion King, Old Yeller, and Big Hero 6, there's an unfortunate character death that breaks the hearts of both the characters and the audience: While Jess and his teacher Ms. Edmunds went to a museum one weekend, Leslie drowned in the creek while trying to swing to Terabithia. It's a heartbreaking moment that makes me cry each time I see it.

A small boat built by Jess in memory of Leslie

In conclusion, Bridge to Terabithia is a perfect underrated family film with life-like cinematography, a story that sticks faithfully to its original source material, relatable characters, and a deep message about friendship. It's a movie that, in my opinion, sits perfectly alongside classic live-action Disney movies from Walt's era like Old Yeller, Mary Poppins, and The Parent Trap (the 1961 film). However, if you do end up watching it, make sure you have a box of tissues or a handkerchief by your side.

Rating: The perfect rating of 5 stars