Abigail Breslin earned an Oscar nomination for Little Miss Sunshine and once again lights up the screen as the young heroine of this tropical escapade. Breslin plays Nim who lives with her scientist father (Gerard Butler) on a remote island, and spends her days playing with her exotic animal friends and reading the adventure stories of Alex Rover. When her dad doesn't return from a boat trip, Nim looks to Rover for help, but what she doesn't realise is that the author is actually Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster), a phobia-ridden woman who hasn't left her home in months. The film is all over the place, with its focus awkwardly split between Nim's life on the island, her father lost at sea and the comical efforts of Alexandra to rescue the young girl. Matters are further confused by Butler doing a double shift as the fictional Alex Rover, who appears to Alexandra in times of need. Fortunately, the sheer pluckiness of Breslin keeps proceedings fun, as she traverses the jungle, climbs a volcano and even bravely fends off some overbearing Aussie tourists.

A young girl inhabits an isolated island with her scientist father and communicates with a reclusive author of the novel she's reading.