We've grown accustomed to big budget adaptations of our favourite kids' novels (
Narnia, Harry Potter, The Golden Compass
), but Hungarian director Gabor Csupo showed not all fantasy stories need to be flashy to be successful with
Bridge
to Terabithia
, a heartfelt and enchanting film on a small scale.
Unfortunately, he's unable to cast the same imaginative spell over this uninspiring and disappointing adventure.
Adapted from Elizabeth Goudge's 1946 children's novel
The Little White Horse, The Secret of Moonacre
is the story of orphaned 13-year-old Maria Merryweather (Richards from
Golden Compass
), who, with her loyal governess Miss Heliotrope (Juliet Stevenson) is sent to live at Moonacre Valley with grumpy uncle Sir Benjamin Merryweather (Gruffudd).
Maria has inherited just one thing from her father, an old and mysterious leather-bound book called
The Ancient Chronicles of Moonacre Valley
. Inside its pages is the tragic tale of the Moon Princess (McElhone) and her precious magical moon pearls, and how in the 1400s a feud began between two clans living in the valley, the Merryweathers and the Coeur De Noirs.
As Maria explores the manor and its surrounding property she discovers the feud still exists, and that an ancient curse will destroy the valley at the next full moon. The manor's magical miniature chef, Marmaduke Scarlet (Andy Linden), informs Maria that she too is a Moon Princess, and the only one who can lift the curse by bringing the families together.
The story may be set in Victorian England, but its interpretation of the period is wonderfully wacky, with the sets a mix of minimalistic, medieval and dream-like. The production design is both a blessing and a curse; it does add much-needed elements of magic and whimsy to the story, it's just that no one seems quite sure how to act within this strange environment.
As a whole
The Secret of Moonacre
feels second-rate, as if there wasn't enough in the budget to bring the tale convincingly to life. It's an earnest story, full of imaginative characters and creatures, but it desperately lacks enough fairydust to keep us entranced.
Francesca Rudkin
CAST
: Dakota Blue Richards, Natascha McElhone, Tim Curry, Ioan Gruffudd
Director
: Gabor Csupo
Running time
: 103 mins
Rating
: PG
