Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry’s joint feature debut, Kensuke’s Kingdom, brings Michael Morpurgo’s 1999 children’s book to life in a castaway fantasy that follows the journey of 11-year-old Michael, who learns vital lessons about the natural order of things. Seasoned screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce is also part of the team, and yet, this could be one of his sparsest screenplays yet, relying on the subtleties of the animation, which combines traditional hand-drawn 2D with mixed-media elements for the background. The result is a beautifully stark and timeless animation that will appeal to older children and adults alike.
The story begins with Michael (Aaron MacGregor) embarking on a world cruise with his parents (Cillian Murphy and Sally Hawkins) and sister (Raffey Cassidy). Michael is a typical 11-year-old who enjoys drawing irreverent sketches of his family in the logbook given to him by his parents. However, he pushes his parents’ patience too far when they discover he has smuggled their dog Stella onto the boat. A storm in the Indian Ocean separates Michael and Stella from the rest of the family, and they find themselves washed ashore a desert-island paradise.
As they explore the island, they discover that they are not alone. The other human on the island is Kensuke (Ken Watanabe), an elderly Japanese man who speaks no English. Kensuke came to the island after his ship was bombed by the Americans, losing his entire family and home city in the final days of the Second World War. Kensuke is a humble man with a keen sense of karmic balance and an equally strong environmental conscience. Despite the language barrier, a friendship ensues, and Kensuke teaches Michael how to survive on the island.
An Eco-Friendly Message
Kensuke’s Kingdom is not just a tale of human bonding but also an environmentalist story that emphasizes the importance of protecting the natural world. The animation handles this theme respectfully and organically, adding to the timeless quality of the story. When Michael and Kensuke discover that illegal poachers have landed on the island and are capturing the exotic birds that live there, Kensuke instinctively rounds up the local community of orangutans to protect the animals. However, when their baby falls behind, Michael tries to protect the mother and child from the poachers. The amount of emotion conveyed in Michael’s eyes alone is extraordinary, and the score by Stuart Hancock does an impressive job in this largely silent segment, creating suspense and tension.
When help finally arrives, Kensuke’s Kingdom does not waste much time on tearful reunions. Instead, the story ends abruptly, as if to seal the story in amber. The eco-emphasis may be fashionable, but it is handled with respect and is organic to the material.
Kensuke’s Kingdom is a timeless animation that will appeal to a wide range of audiences. It combines themes of survival, friendship, and environmentalism in a beautiful and subtle way. The animation is a vivid adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s beloved children’s book that captures the essence of the story and adds a new dimension to it. Boyle, Hendry, and Boyce have done an excellent job in bringing Kensuke’s Kingdom to life, and the result is a must-see for fans of Morpurgo’s work and anyone who enjoys a good story.