“Swallows and Amazons” is all about kids having fun and helping stop a crime to boot! Have you ever dreamed about being the hero of a great story, which had you rescuing an innocent man from bad guys? Maybe not, but probably many people remember what it’s like to be a kid and to imagine a world of pirates walking the plank and living out on an island. The Walker kids, the “Swallows,” wind up fighting against two girl “pirates” the “Amazons,” but in the end they join forces to help stop a crime.
Despite their mother’s unease (Dad is away as captain on a ship), the eldest boy John and sister Susan talk Mom into letting them take a small boat a short distance away to an island, accompanied by younger brother Roger and younger sister Tatty. They lose their food on the way there but manage to make it safely. Soon, they are on an adventure! John learns how to start a fire without matches (with the help of some others on the island), and they have a meeting on the water with two pirate sisters. Soon they are planning a contest to see who will become the rightful “owner” of the island. In the meantime, two spies are pursuing a man the kids saw on a train, and piece by piece they learn the man, Mr. Turner (Rafe Spall), is not a pirate or bad guy but a good guy who ends up needing their help.
It may not be an adventure on the high seas, but for these kids, it is an adventure just as exciting—and for the audience too! The acting by everyone is spot-on, and the high-energy story will keep the audience involved. We are pleased to award our Dove Family-Approved Seal to the movie for ages 12-plus. Yo ho!
