Bridge to Terabithia

I've had the book sitting on my shelf for months and haven't read it yet, but someone did just give me the DVD of the most recent movie version of the book.

I liked it. Worth watching. Not what I thought it was going to be, but that turned out to be a good thing. Disney's marketing department really went off in the wrong direction on this one. From the trailers, they made it seem like a new Narnia, ie. a fantasy epic involving kids and a mythical army of animal soldiers fighting some dark force. This immediately seemed off because Terabithia, like Narnia, was made by Walden Media and Disney. Why, with the first Narnia film still in recent memory, would you market your film to look like a wannabe Narnia?

Whatever. Forget all that. Bridge to Terabithia isn't about another fantasy realm that exists just outside of memory. It's about friendship, responsibility, and the power of imagination, all set in the real world. Remember that going in and you won't be mislead or disappointed.

The only problem I had with the film was the soundtrack. The Miley Cyrus, Hayden Panetierre, etc. tracks were out of place. Seems like Disney was trying a little too hard to promote their up-and-coming music stars. One scene in particular suffers from the poor choice of songs... it's the one where the kids are setting up their tree... you'll understand when you see it. The scene could've been much better with a different song. Never underestimate the power of the sound in a movie, be it music, effects, etc. That said, the inclusion of Steve Earle's Someday was a nice touch and perfectly emulated the tone of the scene and the movie as a whole.

I'm curious now to read the book to see how it differs from the film. Good thing I already own it, eh?