Kensuke's Kingdom review: an 'expertly crafted' and 'magical' film
This Michael Morpurgo book is brought to life in a touching animation

Michael Morpurgo has had the honour of several of his books being turned into films, of which the best known are "War Horse" (2011) and "Private Peaceful" (2012), said Matthew Bond in The Mail on Sunday. Now we have "Kensuke's Kingdom", an animated feature based on the 1999 book of the same name.
"It packs a gentler punch than either of its predecessors", but "for those in search of the sort of children's film you weren't sure they made anymore, this will hit the spot". Our hero is Michael (voiced by Aaron MacGregor), whom we meet sailing around the world with his parents (Sally Hawkins and Cillian Murphy) and sister (Raffey Cassidy). Unbeknown to them, he has snuck the family dog, Stella, onto the boat; and one day, a freak wave sends him and Stella overboard. Boy and dog wash up on a desert island, where he soon encounters the ageing Japanese war veteran Kensuke (Ken Watanabe), whose wife and son were killed in the bombing of Nagasaki. The film has a "rather old-fashioned appeal, but it's none the worse for that": this is a "gently touching adventure" that would be a perfect way to fill a rainy afternoon in the holidays.
Adapted by the children's laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, this animation has noble intentions, "impeccable credentials" and is "expertly crafted", said Ellen E. Jones in The Guardian. I did worry, though, that it might fall into the category of "Films Parents Think Their Kids Ought to Enjoy".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Michael's immaturity "makes him an irritating protagonist in the first half", said Tim Robey in The Telegraph. But this is a "gently magical" film; and Kensuke's relationship with Michael – theirs is "a fragile bond with a rather secretive essence" – ultimately "catches the heart".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Mortgages: The future of Fannie and Freddie
Feature Donald Trump wants to privatize two major mortgage companies, which could make mortgages more expensive
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Trump may team with a tech company to create a database of Americans
In the Spotlight A recent report indicated that Trump is partnering with the tech company Palantir
-
Garsington Opera opens its summer festival with two 'very different productions'
The Week Recommends A 'fabulous' new staging of Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades and Donizetti's fake-love-potion comedy L'elisir d'amore
-
The Rehearsal series two: Nathan Fielder's docu-comedy is 'laugh-out-loud funny'
The Week Recommends Television's 'great illusionist' has turned his attention to commercial airline safety
-
The Ballad of Wallis Island: bittersweet British comedy is a 'delight'
The Week Recommends A reclusive millionaire lures his favourite folk duo to an island for an 'awkward reunion'
-
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster: 'a rare treat indeed'
The Week Recommends The Roadster version of Aston Martin's new Vantage coupé makes even 'the most mundane journey feel special'
-
Bad Friend: Tiffany Watt Smith explores why women abandon friendships
The Week Recommends A 'deeply researched' account of female friendship through history
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
6 captivating new US museum exhibitions to see this summer
The Week Recommends Get up close to Gustave Caillebotte and discover New Vision photography