gcmoss16 Review of Five Children and It

Five Children and It (2004)

Five children spend a rainy summer with a crazy uncle,and discover a door to another world

[10/10 · 15 June 2005]

I am a big fan of Roald Dahl and CS Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. In terms of the spirit of adventure and fantasy and of the children out-witting the adults it reminded me a lot of that. It is mercifully brief and the dialogue is highly amusing and surprising. Kenneth Branagh is hilarious as the dotty and self absorbed math professor. I found myself laughing so hard at some lines I had to back up to pick up the dialogue again. Eddie Izzard is "hip and irreverent" as "IT". His voice stylizations reminded me very much of Robin Williams. It is a delightful family movie that will be enjoyed by kids and adults. Even little kids should not be scared (by much)and older kids will like the sassy sand fairy voiced by Eddie Izzard. I have two boys 11 and 14 and they liked it.