Swallows and Amazons review – a quintessentially British and charming kids adventure

‘Two groups of children fight for ownership of an island.’

In fact, it very much has the feel of an English TV movie, something that wouldn’t be out of place as a BBC One drama. This isn’t surprising considering the director, Philippa Lowthorpe is making her theatrical debut and is mostly known for television including episodes of Call the Midwife (2012). All this isn’t to the films detriment mind you, and there is something quite appealing to the story as it harks back to a simpler time where children didn’t have as many distractions to keep them inside the house and could safely go outdoors, have adventures and play make believe.

The adventure the Walkers embark on involve sailing to an island in the middle of a lake where they plan to camp and sleep under the stars. Once there though, they soon find that the island has already been claimed by two local children who don’t take too kindly to trespassers, and so a war ensues over this coveted piece of land. It’s a sweet low stakes tale about children being children, but there is another narrative playing out alongside the Walkers quest, involving espionage and Ralf Spall’s Captain Flint and Andrew Scott’s spy that does inject a bit more seriousness and gravity to the story.

Despite the two storylines Lowthorpe keeps the pace slow and steady, which for a children’s film might be a tad to slow for the kids. She doesn’t seem that interested in action or fast paced set pieces, instead focusing on the children’s exploits of surviving on the island and the various relationship dynamics between the siblings. This might make for a boring experience for the little ones and things don’t really pick up till the end when the two stories converge for a semi-grand finale.

Despite the two storylines Lowthorpe keeps the pace slow and steady, which for a children’s film might be a tad to slow for the kids. She doesn’t seem that interested in action or fast paced set pieces, instead focusing on the children’s exploits of surviving on the island and the various relationship dynamics between the siblings. This might make for a boring experience for the little ones and things don’t really pick up till the end when the two stories converge for a semi-grand finale.

As a film then, that’s resting more on the characters than the action, the child actors, regrettably, struggle to engage and fall into basic sibling tropes. You have oldest, John, trying to be the man of the house in his father’s absence but instead comes off as bossy and mean. You also have youngest, Roger desperately trying to join in with the older ones and seems more grown up than he is.

They are all fine in their roles but aren’t able to bring that extra emotional ‘oomph’ to proceedings to make them more compelling, and causes the film to stumble some-what as it rests on their performance. It’s a shame really when we’re also given a great group of seasoned British actors like Spall and Scott who help lift the film but certainly aren’t given enough to do or, develop really well. 

‘Swallows and Amazons is the sort of film I could imagine grandparents taking their grandchildren to go and see.’

Maybe it’s unfair to judge today’s generation of children, but it doesn’t have the visual loudness and fast pace action, or that much comedy which are used to attract children these days, and it will probably appeal to those whose childhood goes back a couple of decades.

That’s not to say it’s a terrible film. It has a good story and makes good use of the beautiful setting but Lowthorpe is unable break out of that TV mind-set and give the film a more cinematic feel.