I like to read classic children's fiction and finished E Nisbett's book not long before watching this most recent adaptation of the fantasy story. The film was pleasant enough without ever convincing me I was watching a true classic movie for children.
Watching it, you'll be reminded a little of "The Railway Children" with the evacuated children missing their father who's away fighting the First World War, whilst horrible cousin Horace is greatly reminiscent of the Dursley boy in Harry Potter and of course the daily wish routine recalls "Aladdin", as indeed does Eddie Izzard's Robin Williams-type takeover of the sand-fairy character.
Although Jim Henson's studio do a good job of animating "It", I didn't feel that Eddie Izzard's voice matched up to the character. Special effects were okay, like the multiple duplication of the children over the first wish and later when the children sprout wings, but without ever really astonishing the viewer as they might have..
The children all acted well enough especially the youngster playing daddy's boy Robert while Kenneth Branagh gets to bluster a lot and Zoe Wannamaker simper a lot as the children's bumptious uncle and supportive maid respectively.
The screenplay only occasionally meets up with the novel and I didn't like the odd touch of modern vulgarity and use of expressions recognisable from today either.
I certainly got more from the parent book than this film, which might have had something to do with my imaginings of the sand-fairy's depiction not being reached and that the shots of rural England failed to transport me back as I'd have wished.
Overall, for me the film's sly updating of the story for modern audiences let down the innocent charm of the book.
Watching it, you'll be reminded a little of "The Railway Children" with the evacuated children missing their father who's away fighting the First World War, whilst horrible cousin Horace is greatly reminiscent of the Dursley boy in Harry Potter and of course the daily wish routine recalls "Aladdin", as indeed does Eddie Izzard's Robin Williams-type takeover of the sand-fairy character.
Although Jim Henson's studio do a good job of animating "It", I didn't feel that Eddie Izzard's voice matched up to the character. Special effects were okay, like the multiple duplication of the children over the first wish and later when the children sprout wings, but without ever really astonishing the viewer as they might have..
The children all acted well enough especially the youngster playing daddy's boy Robert while Kenneth Branagh gets to bluster a lot and Zoe Wannamaker simper a lot as the children's bumptious uncle and supportive maid respectively.
The screenplay only occasionally meets up with the novel and I didn't like the odd touch of modern vulgarity and use of expressions recognisable from today either.
I certainly got more from the parent book than this film, which might have had something to do with my imaginings of the sand-fairy's depiction not being reached and that the shots of rural England failed to transport me back as I'd have wished.
Overall, for me the film's sly updating of the story for modern audiences let down the innocent charm of the book.