Should you bring the kids? Yes, but with themes of loss and grief, it's best for kids 12 and older. It's a bit of a downer, and you'll probably leave the theater slightly depressed. For more info, see "Bringing the Kids" below.

THE STORY: Jess Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) is an 11-year-old boy who's an outsider at both school and home. After training all summer to be the fastest kid in school, that dream is thwarted by the new girl, Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb), who competes in the race and wins.

Yeah, it's a little awkward. But the two soon become friends and realize they compliment each other. Leslie has a knack for telling stories of fantasy, and Jess loves to draw, filling notebooks with various creatures and places. His dad's not so keen on his drawing, though, and wishes Jess did more manly things. Jess' four sisters aren't much help either. He'd like to replace them all with a dog.

Meanwhile, Leslie's parents are writers. They're knee deep in working on a book and too busy to pay much attention to her. So Jess and Leslie create their own little world. One day, they wander into an ancient forest near their homes, swing across a stream on an old rope hanging from a tree, and find a crumbling treehouse, which they proceed to fix up and turn into a private clubhouse.

Spurred by Leslie's active imagination, the two imagine that the forest is actually a kingdom called Terabithia – a stunning landscape of rivers, flowers, and waterfalls. Jess and Leslie are named king and queen, and must fight the requisite forces of evil. In Terabithia, they encounter trolls, giants, warriors and flying creatures – not all of them friendly either. 

Then tragedy strikes. I won't give any spoilers, other than to say the ending is bittersweet, but also beautiful. Also, this movie spends a LOT more time in the real world than the imagined world of Terabithia, so don't go in expecting another Narnia.

Subplots involve the Aarons' poverty; Jess' little sister, May Belle (Bailee Madison); Jess' crush on the school music teacher (Zooey Deschanel); various bullies at school; and the existence of God.. Yeah, there's a lot going on.

This movie was produced by Walt Disney and Walden Media, famous for book-to-movie projects like "Hoot," "The Chronicles of Narnia," and "How to Eat Fried Worms". As with Narnia and that other little trilogy, "Lord of the Rings," this movie was shot on the sweeping landscapes of New Zealand.

BRINGING THE KIDS:

PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): The creatures (trolls and bullies) and themes (grief and loss) in this movie are way too intense for preschoolers. Jess and Leslie encounter various perils in both the real world and Terabithia. Better "kingdom" options for little ones are the My Little Pony, Kingdom of Goode, and Rainbow Brite series. 

GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): I don't recommend this movie for kids younger than 12, and here's why: For one thing, it takes a while for the story to get going. The filmmakers spend at least a half-hour establishing the characters and their various situations, and my 9- and 12-year-old were extremely antsy during the set-up. Also, being unfamiliar with the story (it's based on a 1977 Newbery Award-winning novel by Katherine Paterson), I did NOT see the tragedy coming. In fact, a woman and her two kids, sitting in front of us at the theater, left as soon as the tragedy hit. I really didn't blame them.

TWEEN / TEEN (ages 11+): This movie teaches tweens and teens that it's ok to be different and ok to nurture the talents you're given, rather than going with the popular choices (which, as we know, aren't always GOOD choices during this phase of life). This movie also has a good message about how creativity and imagination can get us through the rough patches in life. It's still a downer, though…sort of…

SCORE: 3 out of 4 Reels