Bridge to Terabithia.

[Psygnal]

OK, it's a Disney movie, and it's got monsters in it. I was expecting some sort of mix of Spiderwick, Neverending Story and Jumanji... alas, it's one of those movies about feelings masquerading as a fun flick to take the kids to see.

Here be spoilers.

It's a film about a boy who's having a hard time of it at home. His folks are of the no-nonsense variety, and are going through a bit of a rough patch. Cue the new girl at school. A pretty wee thing who's mind is full of fun and adventure.

Friendships form ,and fantastical adventures in the imagination occur... but she drowns... and now it's a movie about how a boy deals with grief.

OK, maybe that's what the book is about, and perhaps I should have read the blurb a bit more closely, but none of the ads I saw for this movie even remotely hinted at the fact that it was anything other than a kiddies adventure yarn.

Certainly, if I'd taken kids to see this, I'd have been pretty miffed.

One of the reviews I've read since has said this:

[Gawain]

Saw it with the wife about a year ago and we were both extremely disappointed.

The advertising both when it first came out and for the recent TV showing was very misleading - intentionally so I expect.

Even as a morality tale, coming of age story, or whatever it was, it did not work - and it did not come close to being the fantasy adventure the advertising makes it out to be.

It made such a negative impact on the wife that when we found out about the upcoming "Where The Wild Things Are" movie, she even said, "As long as it is not another Bridge to Terabithia!"