Fantasy doesn't come feebler than this
The Secret of Moonacre (U)
If only the script for The Secret Of Moonacre was on a level with its lovely production design.
Based on a 1946 novel that J.K. Rowling has cited as an influence, this is fantasy romance for pre-teen girls, with a 13-year-old (Dakota Blue Richards from The Golden Compass) resolving a long-standing family feud, aided by a unicorn and an enchanted necklace.
Natasha McElhone as Loveday and Ioan Gruffudd as Sir Benjamin in The Secret of Moonacre
Stodgily directed by former animator Gabor Csupo (The Bridge To Terabithia), it's slow, boring and bland, with a very uncertain feeling for period.
Tim Curry as the black-clad baddie looks ill-tempered and grim, as though in mourning for his movie career.
Poor Juliet Stevenson, playing the heroine's fussy governess, has to belch a lot in an attempt to generate laughs.
She fails, as does the movie. Fantasy doesn't come feebler than this.
Verdict: Should have stayed secret
*
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