Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Crwthod A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Alan Levy My wife and I watched this movie with our 3 young children and all of us were enthralled. No double entandres, no evil monsters, no four letter words, just great family entertainment and values.We only wish we had found it sooner. In an age when Hollywood feels that there must be sex, violence, foul language or "adult" subplots, this film stands out for it's honesty and proves that a great film and a great story doesn't need to be trashed up.It may not be true to the book, but who cares...it's a movie. And a fun and entertaining one that the entire family can watch and enjoy...including grandma.

tollini I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2005. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture "…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life."This is a movie in the tradition of "Harry Potter" movies and "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events." It is a fantasy set in 1917 in wartime England. Five children are sent from London to the countryside for safety and security reasons. They are staying in a large, spooky, Gothic-like house with a math-crazed Uncle played brilliantly by Kenneth Branagh. His acting and make-up are so unique that there is no way you could possibly tell it was Branagh. The Uncle has many rules for the children including stay out of the greenhouse. Of course they disobey the rules and the greenhouse leads them to a secret beach where they find a sand fairy.The sand fairy is cute and small and insolent and irreverent and funny. The children are off on adventures because the sand fairy grants them one wish a day. They soon find that getting what you wish for can be overwhelming and not welcomed.The leader among the five children is not the oldest. The leader is a classic all-boy instigator, Robert, that pushes the story forward constantly by being curious and never reigning himself in. He is played by Freddie Highmore of "Finding Neverland" fame and he steals the movie with his character and his screen presence.The children as a group are interesting. They are loyal to each other, they care deeply for their parents, and they develop a love for the sand fairy. And they learn from their mistakes.This film has beautiful art direction and wonderful casting and acting.FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Crystal Heart winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

IMPeterPan With the "children's movie" industry becoming increasingly reliant on computer-animated films to light up children's' faces and make us laugh, it's an event worth celebrating when a live-action children's film as genuine and warm as "Five Children and It" comes into the picture.Set in a refreshingly simplistic perspective of the World War I era, the story tells of a charming bunch of children who are separated from their parents to live in their strange, arithmetically-obsessed uncle's huge castle in the countryside. While their parents are off serving duties in the war cause, Robert (Freddie Highmore) and his siblings struggle to cope with the strict rules of Uncle Albert's (Kenneth Branagh) mansion, as well as the separation from their dear parents. In an amazing little adventure, Robert and the others discover "It," a mysterious little creature at the end of a hidden passageway who grants one single wish to the children each day. But Its magic may end up causing more misfortune than fortune.Witty and sassy little Robert misses and worries for his father so much that he struggles to except that Dad may not return from fighting at war. In a superbly genuine portrayal, Highmore charms the viewer with perhaps his most deeply expressive and emotional performance of his career, next to his spectacular exploration of Peter Llewelyn Davies in "Finding Neverland." Highmore is one of the finest child actors there is today, and is continuing to reach for the stars, most currently in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." In "Five Children," Freddie fits his Robert like a glove, and achieves what few actors can-- he causes the viewer to become attached to the character. Arousing our sympathy and tearing our hearts, Mr. Highmore has done it again. Astounding! It would be ridiculous not to also acknowledge the wonderful performances by the other children, whose ability to compliment each other with on-screen chemistry is truly a joy to watch. And of course, It, the sand-fairy, is an amusing little character brought wonderfully to life by Jim Henson puppetry and Eddie Izzard. Granted, the animation effects for the film are quite poor, but I am pleased to say that this does not matter. Director John Stephenson has created a lovely children's film without advanced use of computer-- now that's magic! "Five Children and It" leaves us with a heart-warming message and a feeling of purity so rare in films these days, that it's a shame this movie wasn't widely distributed. And although it can't be said that this movie reached %100 of its potential, I personally don't understand any negative comments that critics may make regarding it, for this movie is truly exceptional children's entertainment. Why not simply appreciate it for what it is? Still, it feels good to be one of the few people who appreciate this little gem of a film, which gently reminds us that even though as we grow old the magic of childhood may die, the mark it leaves on us is eternal.Grade: B+ / Stars: 3 out of 4

Robert W. I had never heard of the unique "Five Children and It" before it was recommended to me. It had the look and style of Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket films and looked interesting enough. Considering top billing went to twelve year old Freddy Highmore of Finding Neverland, it wasn't exactly a star studded affair. Nonetheless the story is a beautiful little fair tale more for kids but very entertaining...more so in fact than Lemony Snicket which I thought was just averagely done.Five Children and It is the story of five brothers and sisters who are sent to live with their eccentric mathematician Uncle when their father is stationed in France during WWII. The children are treated to an enormous castle and given the guided tour by the mysteriously protective housekeeper Martha. Despite his caring ways, the almost crazy Uncle Albert insists the children keep a tight ship, cleaning and carrying out a huge list of chores. The only rule they are given above all others is to stay out of the greenhouse. Young Robert, a strong willed, rebellious boy quickly finds his way to the greenhouse and goes inside and then convinces his brother and sisters to join him. They find a door which leads to them an unchartered beautiful beach where it doesn't rain and everything is calm and peaceful. Robert then accidentally discovers a shell and inside the shell is a very mysterious creature. He is a sand fair...It...as the children call him and he has the ability to grant one wish to one person per day. Through his wishes however he tends to teach a lesson by how and what they wish for. The children immediately wish their chores to be done which ends in disaster, and with each day that passes they learn to be more careful about their wishes. More than anything else what is important to them is their father returning safely from war and when he goes missing, they must choose their wish wisely to bring him home safely. And when the safety of the sand fairy becomes an issue the children pull together to save him from disaster.I thought that Sand Fairy who is by far the most amusing character in the film was underused quite a bit. Eddie Izzard performs as his voice and he's very funny and although the sand fairy is a little irritable he cares for the children and becomes endearing. The only child of the five of them who gets any significant screen time is Freddie Highmore who is becoming quite the actor with his breakthrough roles. Kenneth Braghn plays a great character in Uncle Albert. He obviously has no parenting skills but does the best he knows. His role was still better than Carey's in Lemony Snicket. Children will love this film, it's a great adventure without ever leaving the castle and at the same time has some great morals and lessons with the necessary laughs that children will love. The Sand Fairy is wonderful and kids will love him. With director John Stephenson at the helm who has worked with Jim Henson's creature shop for a long time, he knows what makes a great monster. Definitely check this out with your kids...maybe even on your own, it's a great little family film not to disappoint. Shout out to Deb who recommended this one...and I didn't even have to pay to watch it YEAH!! 8/10