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KENSUKE'S KINGDOM
Directors: Neil Boyle, Kirk Hendry Cast: The voices of Aaron MacGregor, Cillian Murphy Sally Hawkins, Raffey Cassidy, Ken Watanabe MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:25 Release Date: 10/18/24 (limited) |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | October 17, 2024 The premise of Kensuke's Kingdom, based on a children's novel by Michael Morpurgo, takes the old adventure setup of being stranded on a desert island. In this case, it's an 11-year-old boy and his trusty dog who find themselves stuck and seemingly alone in this perilous situation—without any food, any water, or anything much in the way of shelter, save for a hollow piece of driftwood. The two were lucky to survive being washed overboard, and it will take a lot more than luck to live through even a few days in this place. There is some hope in this scenario, beyond what actually happens in the story and in the foundational form of directors Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry's film. It's animated, and for whatever reason, we can find immediate comfort in that medium, especially when the tale involves a child and is made with such care and craft in its, apparently, hand-drawn details. Things may go wrong for young Michael (voice of Aaron MacGregor) and his dog Stella, as they obviously do before the pair end up on the island. Subconsciously, though, we know those things likely won't go too wrong, lest the kids in the audience end up with an assortment of psychological complexes because of what happens to a cartoon kid and his dog. What's intriguing about Frank Cottrell Boyce's screenplay is how much of this story isn't about dangers, such as thirst and starvation, and helplessness or even the possible excitement of an adventure to be had, as dire as the circumstances may be. It is an adventure story, to be sure, simply by nature of the setup and plot, but the actual tale is quieter and more thoughtful than one might anticipate from the premise. It's about a boy finding his strength, of both actions and character, and learning a thing or two about how to be a better person, both in learning lessons about the consequences of his behavior and in taking other people into consideration. Before being stranded on the island, Michael certainly has some things to learn. He's on a small sailing yacht with his family, traveling around the world for a year. His dad (voiced by Cillian Murphy) and mom (voiced by Sally Hawkins) both lost their jobs at home somewhere in England, so the parents have taken Michael and his sister (voiced by Raffey Cassidy) on this seafaring expedition to get away from it all for a bit. Michael's miserable. He has chores to do, little but water to look at most of the time, and none of the real responsibilities and thrills of sailing to do. Plus, the family had to leave the dog with a relative, because, as dad puts it, a boat is no place for a dog. As the earlier introduction to the premise gave away, Michael stowed Stella away in a small compartment on deck, and in what should be his first lesson about listening to his parents, the dog and the boy almost fall overboard when Michael lets the pooch out of its hiding spot. He doesn't learn, though, and that leads to the two actually falling off the boat in the middle of a rough storm. Michael awakens amidst the fog and on the sand of a little outcrop of a beach on a much larger island. There's nowhere else for him or Stella to go, it seems, since the interior of the island is blocked by a towering rockface with few holds to use for climbing. They're trapped here, and it's only the mysterious appearance of a tray of water and raw fish one morning that at least guarantees they won't die soon. The nourishment comes from a man who's also stranded on the island. He's Kensuke (voice of Ken Watanabe), a Japanese man with a tragic history that's revealed later. Michael never learns it, because he doesn't speak Japanese—or recognize the name of one city—and Kensuke doesn't speak English. The really lovely part of this tale, though, is that neither the boy nor the man needs to understand the other to recognize the pain, the loneliness, and the grief each of them is experiencing. It may be unspoken, but it's communicated clearly in silence and little actions. There's hope in those silences and deeds, too, as Kensuke learns to put up with the stubborn kid's irresponsible tendencies and Michael witnesses kindness, thoughtfulness, patience, and worry for others in the man's ways. Some of that has to do with the way Kensuke tends to Michael's needs for food and shelter, but it's also in how the man cares for a family of orangutans in the jungle beneath his elaborate treehouse, since he has lost his own family in a particular tragedy of human history. The story and this growing bond are so simple and so encouraging that it is a shame an external threat eventually arrives to upset the balance. However, that's nothing compared to the quiet poignancy of the story's core, as well as the obvious artistry of the animators, who place their strictly lined characters into beautiful re-creations of the sea and the island's various natural wonders. The colors of the jungle, the water, and the sun-kissed skies alone are marvels to behold. They also emphasize the serenity of the story taking place within those sights. Kensuke's Kingdom is a peaceful film about finding peace of mind in the harshest of situations, in nature, in oneself, and in the kindness of other people—as well as offering that to others. Copyright © 2024 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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