Kids will likely enjoy it, but this ultimately lands as a disappointment and a missed opportunity. A film with genuine potential is held back by a weak story, inconsistent effects and underdeveloped world-building.
A group of children discover a mysterious tree deep in an enchanted wood whose branches stretch into ever-changing magical lands above the clouds. As they climb higher, they meet strange and whimsical characters like Moon-Face and the Saucepan Man, and stumble into new worlds filled with adventure, danger, and wonder. But when one of the lands turns hostile, the children must work together with their new friends to find a way back home safely before the magic shifts again.
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My wife has fond memories of the book, and for her the film lacked the extra magic she was hoping for and Moonface in particular didn’t feel quite right in her view. That said, I thought Silky (Nicola Coughlan) and Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning) were stronger portrayals.
Mark Heap is also excellent in his short appearance as Mr Oom Boom Boom, and Jennifer Saunders is entertaining as Grandma Thompson. Claire Foy delivers a solid performance as the mother, though I was less convinced by Andrew Garfield as the father (likely more the way the character is written than the actor himself). The family dynamic works well overall, but some of the Faraway Tree characters feel misjudged. Dame Snap (Rebecca Ferguson) in particular feels like a missed opportunity, with the character’s appearance largely wasted.
Like many modern British films, it leans heavily into a “be yourself” message, but it feels a little heavy-handed. Visually, parts of the film are underwhelming. Some of the lands resemble pantomime stage sets rather than a rich, cinematic fantasy, and the world never quite captures the scale or charm of the source material. It all feels as if the vision simply did not have the budget.
The countryside setting and the discovery of the tree are nicely handled and feel properly cinematic. There is no doubt children will enjoy it, but the humour is more gently amusing than genuinely funny. It is easy to see this finding an audience over the Easter holidays, and it will likely perform reasonably well, just not at the level it could have reached. It certainly is not a classic and it would have been better reflecting the time period when the books were written, than all the modern themes that are introduced for this retelling.
Film Rating
Music
3 out of 5 (mainly instrumental)
Story/plot
2 out of 5
Acting/Performances
3 out of 5
Overall
2.5 out of 5
Certification: U
Running time: 110 minutes
Screening type: 2D
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