Nim's Island>

Abigail Breslin brings enough sunshine to "Nim's Island" to rescue this family adventure. Breslin stars as the irrepressible Nim, who lives on a South Pacific island with her widowed scientist father, Jack (Gerard Butler), and animal playmates, including a sea lion, a lizard and a pelican.

And Nim loves reading adventure novels by Alex Rover (Jodie Foster), an Indiana Jones type who in reality is an agoraphobic, hygiene-obsessed writer living in an apartment in San Francisco and talking to her imaginary hero (also played by Butler).

When a storm strands her dad at sea without any means of communication and the island is threatened by tourists from a cruise ship, she contacts Alex through the Internet for help. Spurred by her imaginary Alex ("Be the hero of your own adventure"), the writer manages to force herself to venture out and head for the island.

There is a bit of "Romancing the Stone" here, but "Nim" doesn't have that much fun - or romance. There's dancing with animals to "Stay Up Late" by Talking Heads and other types of suitable family entertainment.

But there is little sense of danger in the script by directors Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett, and even in a family film, that would help.

Butler is fine in his roles, but Foster seems to be lost at sea when it comes to comedy. Thankfully, Breslin is a great little heroine and, when she connects with Foster, the film clicks.

The Power of Song>

"Pete Seeger: The Power of Song" is a loving documentary to the famed banjo-playing folk singer, now in his late '80s. There's little new here about Seeger, who's been both beloved and controversial. His attachment to Communism long after it was obvious that the Soviet dictator Stalin was a monster shows a certain myopia and stubbornness on his part, but he also is a man of integrity, who helped shine a light on liberty in the dark times. Through the Weavers and his association with Woody Guthrie, Seeger helped popularize folk music, and in turn that helped give rise to many of the social changes in the 1960s. "The Power of Song" uses old clips and interviews with people like Ronnie Gilbert and Lee Hays - who sang with him in the Weavers - as well as admirers like Bruce Springsteen, who did a tribute album to him, and the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines. There's plenty of foot-stomping music, too. And even if "The Power of Song" doesn't have much new to tell, it's still a pretty good story.

The Counterfeiters>

Austrian director Stefan Ruzowitzky's "The Counterfeiters" took the Oscar for best foreign film. It's about a concentration camp prisoner, Salomon Sorowitsch - known as Sally (Karl Markovics). A petty criminal before World War II, he becomes part of a team who counterfeits British and American money for the Nazis with the idea of destabilizing those countries' economies. (The Germans, indeed, tried to do that.) The team is given special privileges, knowing full well that their days are numbered when their job is through. "The Counterfeiters" eventually becomes a moral tale as Sally comes into conflict with Burger (August Diehl), another prisoner who wants to stop the plan. The film, for the most part, stays tough-minded, creating a picture that shows the horror of the Holocaust but remains focused enough to tell a story.

TV>

The 1989 miniseries "Lonesome Dove" was a great piece of television.

Based on Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize-winning Western novel, it starred Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall as two former Texas Rangers on a cattle drive to Montana near the end of the 19th century. Like the novel, the miniseries was greatly entertaining - an involving yarn that sweeps you up. Jones and Duvall are at their best. The new two-disc set includes a conversation with McMurtry.

"Foyle's War: Set 5" is the British crime series that has been airing on PBS' "Mystery" recently. Against the backdrop of World War II, Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen) solves murder cases while the country is embroiled in surviving during the war. Kitchen gives a smartly understated performance, and the mysteries are well-done.

Because of technology, nature photography has become extraordinary in recent years. In time for the Summer Olympics is "Wild China," a six-episode documentary from the BBC that examines the nature and wildlife of the vast country that the Communist government has kept under wraps for 60 years. It boasts some eye-popping cinematography as it also looks at the relationship of some of China's people with the land.

The final chapter of naturalist David Attenborough's "Life" series, "Life in Cold Blood" - about reptiles and amphibians - is also being released.

Also>

And would you believe ... "Get Smart - Season 1"? Paramount has remastered the original "Star Trek" for high-definition TV. Season two is out there for all you Trekkies to explore. And the studio is putting out "I Love the '80s" editions of films like "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Footloose" and "Top Gun." I only mention this because such flicks - amazingly even John Hughes' "Pretty in Pink" - have become such cultural touchstones for those who grew up in the decade. And Biography has updated its documentary bios on presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain. It's your vote.

Rob Lowman (818) 713-3687; robert.lowman@dailynews.com

out tuesday>

NEW FILMS

"Nim's Island" $29.99/ $39.98 Blu-ray

"Pete Seeger: The Power of Song" $24.95

"The Counterfeiters" $28.96/ $38.98 Blu-ray

"My Brother Is an Only Child" $27.98

"The Killing of John Lennon" $19.95

TELEVISION

"Lonesome Dove" $19.95/ $39.99 Blu-ray

"Foyle's War: Set 5" $49.99

"Get Smart - Season 1" $24.98

"Life in Cold Blood $34.98" Wild China $29.98/ $39.99 Blu-ray

"Star Trek the Original Series - The Complete Second Season (Remastered)" $84.98

"Wire in the Blood: Prayer of the Bone" $24.98

"P.D. James: Devices and Desires" $29.98

"Family Ties - The Fourth Season" $39.98

"The First Olympics: Athens 1896" $19.94

"Inspector Lewis 1" $29.98

"Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Collection 3" $24.

"Masters of Science Fiction: The Complete Series" $29.

"Biography: John McCain (Election Update Edition)" $12.95

"Biography - Barack Obama (Election Update Edition)" $12.95

FOR KIDS

"Charlie and Lola, Vol. 8" $14.98

"Disney Little Einsteins - Flight of the Instrument Fairies" $19.99

"He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Vol. 3" $26.98

"Saddle Club: Season 1" $14.98

OLDER FILMS

"Better Off Dead - I Love the 80's Edition" $14.98

"Explorers - I Love the 80's Edition" $14.98

"Pretty in Pink - I Love the 80's Edition" $14.98

"Footloose - I Love the 80's Edition" $14.98

"Ferris Bueller's Day Off - I Love the 80's Edition" $14.98

"Some Kind of Wonderful - I Love the 80's Edition" $14.98

"Top Gun - I Love the 80's Edition" $14.98

"Heavy Metal"$14.94