It's no word of a lie to say that I'd never heard of "The Amazing Mr. Blunden" before now but then again it did hit the silver screen when I was in nappies. As it happens I probably would have enjoyed its simple sentimentality just a few years later but that was long before VCRs became a consumer must-have.
Still the film is available to stream and delivers on its many positive attributes if you're in the right mood. For a start the story may be naive but it is also straightforward and the central child actors carry the dialogue well enough. They don't have to do a great deal mind.
In contrast the adult actors generally take to their characters with some gusto. Diana Dors is remarkably effective as the evil, bullying mother-in-law and quite unrecognisable under her makeup. Her demented husband David Lodge is also genuinely scary and together they add a real darkness to the tale.
That said the story doesn't have much heft and apart from the central twist (which is inventive) it mostly trundles along in a quite predictable arc. Still there's nothing wrong with seeing the baddies get their comeuppance while goodness is rewarded. A solid watch if you have young, but not too young, children.
Still the film is available to stream and delivers on its many positive attributes if you're in the right mood. For a start the story may be naive but it is also straightforward and the central child actors carry the dialogue well enough. They don't have to do a great deal mind.
In contrast the adult actors generally take to their characters with some gusto. Diana Dors is remarkably effective as the evil, bullying mother-in-law and quite unrecognisable under her makeup. Her demented husband David Lodge is also genuinely scary and together they add a real darkness to the tale.
That said the story doesn't have much heft and apart from the central twist (which is inventive) it mostly trundles along in a quite predictable arc. Still there's nothing wrong with seeing the baddies get their comeuppance while goodness is rewarded. A solid watch if you have young, but not too young, children.