Letter For The King

Written by the Dutch equivalent of JK Rowling, Tonke Dragt, this coming-of-age story is set in medieval times and follows a 16-year-old who embarks on a perilous quest.

Our hero is shield bearer Tiuri, who has one last task to complete before the king makes him a knight like his famous father. He has to spend a night in the chapel without talking or opening the door. But when someone chaps and begs for help, he cannot neglect them.

An injured messenger asks him to deliver a letter to a knight hiding in the nearby forest, which the knight must take to the king of a neighbouring land. But when Tiuri finds the knight, he is dying and asks him to deliver the precious note. Will he succeed with evil knights on his tail? And what does the letter say?

The movie contains similar traits to most teen-oriented movies - a young, reluctant hero, a significant object, quirky outfits, battles and even an old wise man with grey hair in the vein of Dumbledore or Gandalf. It has a refreshing, low-tech approach and does not rely on special effects or 3D to impress viewers, focusing instead on the story. Adults taking their kids will be fondly reminded of movies from their childhood.

The scenery is beautiful, with most scenes shot in forests or mountain trails and sweeping aerial views of the lush green landscape.

Sadly, there is not a lot of heart or passion from the cast but overall is an entertaining, back-to-basics, Arthurian-style adventure that should appeal to girls as well as boys.