Swallows and Amazons - 5 Stars from Libby

[RichardS]

Libby Purves seems to have taken over as the Mail's new film critic and gives the new film 5 stars.

I wonder what the more cynical chap who used to do the reviews would have said?

Richard

 

[RivalRedwing]

Think she has been on the G&Ts, Our nippers (5&7) found it a bit scary at times but both said the original was a better film. I am with them - the acting smelt of ham and the sailing action was iffy, story somewhat mullered too. Had hoped for better.

 

[RichardS]

Think she has been on the G&Ts, Our nippers (5&7) found it a bit scary at times but both said the original was a better film. I am with them - the acting smelt of ham and the sailing action was iffy, story somewhat mullered too. Had hoped for better.

Just seen the review on the BBC Film Programme and the reviewer recommended it as a good "family film".

As my family are now both taller than me, it doesn't look as if we'll be going to see it. We will, hopefully, go and see the Donald Crowhurst movie in a few months.

Richard

 

[johnalison]

I have to admit that I have never actually read an Arthur Ransome, though I have enjoyed looking at the occasional excerpt. At the age when I might have read one, I really was not into reading story books, so I am not well place to judge, but there must be very very few film adaptations in this genre that live up to the original, when the literary style is so much part of the character of the book. The wry, whimsical and ironic humour just can't seem to be reproducible.

 

[Seajet]

It's not much about humour, more about the spirit of adventure and fun; even as a 12 year old I had mixed feelings about the 1974 film taking liberties - in this PC day and age a film of it by BBC luvvies sounds a disaster with no idea of the original appeal - hope I'm wrong.

However a chum has a 10 yr old lad who is keen on sailing - his eyes lit up when I told him the old trick on sailing courses of throwing seaweed into the mainsail of girl's dinghies to elicit a squeal - but I think the rest of the time his nose will be pressed up against his tablet, sadly I think Arthur Ransome's wonderful books - I and others rate ' We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea ' as the best - are for my generation !

 

[bitbaltic]

Just seen it with the family this evening. It was pleasant enough when its 40 knots outside and it looks like someone is aiming a hose at the window. Big plus is that our ten year old son who is otherwise buried in Harry Potter has just gone to bed with his mum's treasured old copy of the book. That's a result in my opinion.

 

[Yellow Ballad]

I read it recently (aged 32 1/4) and loved it, took me a little to get into the book but I've kept it to read to my little boy when he's older. I'll go to watch the film, just for a treat if I can talk the Grandma to look after him for a few hours!

 

[jonic]

Rain has stopped our play on the boat, so we took the kids to see it at Harbour Lights in Ocean Village.

Great fun and they loved it. Suddenly they are no longer interested in I-pads and want to make bow and arrows.

Taking them to camp on the shores of Windermere in a Wayfarer over the bank-holiday with the RCC and now they can't wait

 

[sgr143]

A few years back, after a week in West Scotland, where I had trailered my RS Vision up to go sailing off the beach, we had the second week in the Lakes. I arranged to keep the Vision at the Coniston sailing club, and so a highlight of the week was for me and 10yo daughter (who loved the books and the 1974 film already) to sail down to Peel Island, land and explore "Wildcat Island". There it all was! The camping place, the lookout tree (ok, something very like it!), and best of all, the Secret Harbour. And having had to beat to windward all the way up, we were then whisked home downwind for tea and cakes. A great day.

 

[Seven Spades]

As a rule I don't like classics that are re-written to make them PC. I believe that the character "Titty" has been re-named.

 

[fergie_mac66]

My kids made bow and arrows from some privit suckers ,using 10 mm dowel for arrows though i sawed the points.off i went lairy when they used them once in the house . I found a couple of.arrows stuck a good five eights of an inch into.the plaster on the wall , they were lethal at 20 yards !

 

[Deleted member 36384]

My kids made bow and arrows from some privit suckers ,using 10 mm dowel for arrows though i sawed the points.off i went lairy when they used them once in the house . I found a couple of.arrows stuck a good five eights of an inch into.the plaster on the wall , they were lethal at 20 yards !

The little rascals!

 

[RivalRedwing]

That scene was the only one in the original film that I wasn't keen on my son seeing... the Amazon's arrows don't miss the swallows by much... ?

 

[FWB]

Twenty years ago I took the kids to Coniston for a week with the Wayfarer and canoe.
"Wild Cat Island"....

 

[doug748]

..

Great fun and they loved it. Suddenly they are no longer interested in I-pads and want to make bow and arrows.

Taking them to camp on the shores of Windermere in a Wayfarer over the bank-holiday with the RCC and now they can't wait

Great stuff.

Despite what we foist upon them kids really enjoy most running round with their mates having adventures, or dreaming about it. Like the rest of us

 

[Ional]

Daughter, now aged nearly 40 loved reading them all. Wants to take her 6 and 8 year old boys but thinks this version might be too old for them.

She was reading 'We didn't mean to go to sea' on a channel crossing from Fowey when about 11. We had a cruising shute up, wind gusted, we broached and the book went overboard out through the stern rails. Had to explain to library lady on our return, and for once she was very amused and let us off the fine!

 

[fergie_mac66]

Bows and arrows .Have a look at this short you tube vid.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

That's quite frankly amazing! Not so much the skill, which is amazing, but that archery as a sport has not retained these skills. How much more interesting would the sport be if it was like this. Thanks for posting.

 

[sgr143]

Daughter bouncing with glee on landing on "WIldcat Island"... 2009.

 

[ShinyShoe]

Took the 5 year old yesterday.
He enjoyed it. He was scared in places (he's a bit of a wimp!).
Its not true to the book - but few books done as films ever are. If you accept that few of the modern generation will pick up the book - without the film encouraging it - its a darn sight better they are getting inspired to adventure than chase Pokemon's on their iPhones

No doubt we could all sit and spot flaws in the sailing etc... ...its a kids story... ...the sailing is just the means for the adventure

Hopefully he's seen a different opportunity of adventure for kids sailing other than the mainstream club sailing, round the cans racing that kids are so routinely pointed towards as part of our 'sport'. I think we forget that our sport came from people who used boats to transport things who raced to get things / people there fastest and therefore make most money. Same in horse riding... ...our fore fathers never taught their horses to dance to music. But they did teach them to make journeys. If the 5 year old isn't interested in Sailing I hope he will be more interested in Trecking a Horse than Horse Dancing.