As someone who loved these books as a child and has watched the 1974 film at least 10 times I adored the nostalgia and memories it brought back to me. Granted I was slightly distracted by my parents who don't seem to have grasped the concept of whispering but nevertheless this new adaptation made me desperate to go back to the Lake District and even to go sailing again which I haven't done in years. The brief shot of Catbells in the background reminded me of the extremely satisfying experience of walking up my first mountain. The overall look of this "reboot" was, despite obviously being much updated, almost identical to the original film. The locations, such as the chidrens' camping spot on the island and their "secret harbour", looked extraordinarily similar to these places I remember so well which only added to the nostalgia.

'Swallows and Amazons' is based on Arthur Ransome's 1930 novel. The story takes place during the Walker family's summer holiday in the Lake District. The four oldest children sail - in their borrowed boat 'Swallow' -  to a deserted island in the centre of Coniston Water. However the island turns out to already have been claimed by Nancy and Peggy Blackett co-owners of 'Amazon'. The two families battle it out on their boats to win the island, naturally putting aside their differences to discover the truth about the mysterious James Turner who lives a secluded life on his houseboat.

The Walker children - excluding the baby of course, although she was very cute - all looked like they could easily be siblings. The family blonde hair certainly helped but the four of them also acted just like brothers and sisters. The chemistry between them was lovely to watch and I actually enjoyed their little sibling tiffs since it made the entire family dynamic much more realistic than the perfect Walker family we see in the books. I feel like I can't review this film without at least mentioning the decision to change Titty's name to "Tatty". I'll agree the change was necessary since I found myself sniggering at her name even when I was 10. I can't help but think that her name should have been changed entirely or at least to something such as "Tilly" as "Tatty" isn't really much better than "Titty" in my opinion. That aside, the children, including the Blackett sisters, were absolutely believable and their childhood innocence was wonderful to witness.


Of course there was the odd change from Ransome's book. The most drastic being the addition of two Russian spies chasing after James Turner (or the pirate, Captain Flint as the children call him). I'm in two minds about this addition to the plot. Firstly, I can understand why it was felt the film needed a little more thrill and drama particularly for a modern audience who, let's be honest, have become almost accustomed to and expectant of explosions and car chases. I didn't feel like it affected the overall plot too much but acted as an exciting extra to a tale which, at its core, is about six children waging a "war" over the right to name an island. On the other hand that's all it is: six children waging a war over the right to name an island, and that's what gives the story is innocent, nonthreatening charm. Having said that the childish appeal was definitely still there along with the genuine comedic moments.

I've read various reviews that have called the film"not timeless but outdated". Who knows, maybe they're right but I certainly felt myself tearing up for pure nostalgic reasons. Some not so good reviews also seem, in my opinion, to have forgotten the target audience is children when they've complained about there not being enough action and blockbuster-esque scenes but I certainly remember being scared out of my wits during their night sail when I was a child. I'm not sure how people who have never read the books or watched the original might react to this new film but I personally loved the humour, excitement and memories it brought back for me.

4/5 stars