Five Children And It

Comedians seem to relish voice characterisation, allowing their imaginations to run wild, Shrek's Donkey and Aladdin's Genie being particular standouts. It's good to note Eddie Izzard will likely get more microphone work after Five Children And It, a film adapted from overly-beloved children's writer E. Nesbit. Her It is a delight, providing colour and life to each of her scenes. Cranky, charming and anarchic. More, please... just in a better movie.

The It, named Psammead, is a strange creature, best described as a cross between a fairy and a small dinosaur. It's a Jim Henson studio creation, ugly but expressive and earthily magical. His purpose in the plot is to grant wishes to five children who discover him, just one wish a day before the magic wears off as the sun sets. So, the children begin wishing for outlandishly fun things and the film begins with various ways of taking the magic out of the genie's bottle. Alas, the fantasy soon wears thin, given the cheese-ridden presentation of the film's moral story.

The cast acquit themselves reasonably well. Kenneth Branagh, as dotty uncle Albert, looks like he's sleepwalking for a pay cheque and the youngsters look coached and unnatural. Even Freddie Highmore, as Robert, doesn't drive the film as well as he could. He's earnest enough, but the performance just doesn't command attention.

Five Children And It is an embarrassingly underwhelming British children's fairytale. There's a touch of charm, but the cliched storytelling lacks that vital spark to send it soaring above the obligatory half-term movies. Best avoided, really.