Kensuke's Kingdom review: an 'expertly crafted' and 'magical' film

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".

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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".