Four Kids and It

I watched this with my wife who will watch anything with a bit of magic or fantasy in it. While not truly awful, it was pretty much next door. It looked poorly budgeted and the creature looked like a 1980 spitting image creation. A special mention for Russell Brand. Awful. Yes, I know it's a kids film, but I can't see any child over six or seven not being embarrassed for him. Younger kids may enjoy it, but it's probably too long with not enough action or fun to keep them interested. I haven't yet seen a Sky original that I've had a good word for. Very missable.

I couldn't even make it through the trailer. Talk about cringe. As if it wasn't bad enough that CGI monstrosity is absolutely disgusting and I want nothing to do with it. Foul creature. Lazy stupid film.

Having seen the 1990s series I was aware of the basic storyline. Clearly the book is a classic but unfortunately this is let down in a number of ways.

The special effects to start with are terrible. The Pssammead is first introduced as it tunnels under the sand (think Tremors) and it looks awful. Later the children fly and it was very 1970s green-screenesque.

Then there's the acting. Michael Caine cannot do much wrong as a voice actor and Russell Brand is ok, the rest are terrible. It sounds awful to say about child actors but for a feature film it really wasn't great.

I don't know what the budget was, but I suspect after Caine and Brand there was nothing left.

This movie is a flat adaptation wasting a great opportunity that the underlying story could have provided. It is presented without any real magic, chemistry between the characters or any sense of tension. What should be a warm, humorous family movie just comes across as cold, unfunny and cliched. Michael Caine's voice work is a highlight but his appearances are too brief. Russell Brand in contrast appears completely miscast in his role. Maybe young kids will love it, but in my eyes it doesn't have enough depth to work as film to be enjoyed by all the family.

Usual middle school & younger age appropriate hooks - wishes, magic, trouble ("There's consequences." - actually they're pretty tame.); brief romantic hook; feel good ending. Stereotyping of dysfunctional divorced families; kids want parents together the way they were. But, remaining male & female parent of each family have secretly developed a mutual relationship that is brought to light when both groups surprisingly show up at the same vacation spot; predictably, offspring of each don't get along with counterparts, but that'll change. Never found any of the characters likable or interesting; made even more tiresome with not-demanding acting. Bringing them all together was the usual nasty foil character as counterpoint. Oh, and the the wish granter (A well known actor voicing which sounded weird.).