Flight of the Doves

A very well acted film by actors Ron Moody and Jack Wild who worked well together in the movie Oliver. Ron Moody is brilliantly funny and sometimes frightening with his disguises and different characters. Jack Wild is wonderful as the compassionate loving older brother who loves his younger sister enough to run away to Ireland so she can be truly loved by someone: their grandmother who is nicely portrayed by Dorthy McGuire. The adventures they encounter on their way to Ireland are wonderful as is the scenery of Ireland. This film was shot entirely in Ireland and the music soundtrack is as lovely as Ireland. A nice family film with a happy ending. Beats what is out there today.

I saw this movie about 25 years ago, and the title has stuck with me all these years. The movie must have impressed me deeply. I remember two children fleeing, attempting to get to a relative some distance away. I was around 9 when I saw the movie, so I can only say it would probably appeal to a younger audience.

The book on which this film was supposed to be based is a beloved story from my childhood. I purchased this film thinking it would bring the book to life. Not at all the case. This film is a poorly acted, non-sensical, unfunny, cringe-worthy adaptation that captures nothing of the charm and beauty of the original story. That the screenwriter and director inexplicably decided to take the story in the direction of a dumb comedy/bad musical is one of the great head-scratchers of all time. What a waste. My wish is that someday someone remakes this film and sticks to the original tone and personality of the book. That's a film I'd want to watch. This one is going in the trash.

This British-made film cast from the Disney mold has a brother(Jack Wild) and younger sister fleeing their loutish stepfather in England to find their grandmother in Ireland. Along the journey they are assisted by a motley assortment of colorful characters, and are pursued by a menacing relative(an uncle, if I remember)who believes their appearance will deprive him of an inheiritance. The uncle, played by Ron Moody, affects a series of disguises to trick the kids, but always gets the shaft. A beautiful soundtrack score enhances the film. Not readily available, so catch it if you can on television.

Although the film at times feels like an over cooked tourist ad it would be unfair to overlook some fine moments.Ron Moody shows off all of his remarkable skills in a series of ham characters,while Jack Wild is better than usual as Finn.I have just seen this film not having watched it since the seventies and I really liked Tom Hickey as Garda Flynn.The film is well worth a look and kids would immediately empathize with the two runaways.It also features a Synagogue which is a rarity in an Irish based movie.The narrative is a standard fugitive adventure and no more with plenty of twists and turns but some of the set pieces are poor,such as the dire parade and the cringe-worthy scene outside the church when the tour bus pulls in.Noetheless,Moody as Hawk keeps the tension alive throughout.