A sweet if faintly soporific fantasy adventure for family audiences, starring 13-year-old Dakota Blue Richards (from The Golden Compass) as Maria Merryweather, a little orphan girl who in time-honoured fashion has to be taken in by her grumpy uncle Sir Benjamin (Ioan Gruffudd). His mysterious family castle turns out to be a place of dangerous enchantments that only Maria can resolve. Juliet Stevenson has some fun with the role of Maria's pernickety governess Miss Heliotrope.
(Cert U)