While desert island games and tales of Robinson Crusoe have long held a special place in the cultural imagination, the reality of life on a deserted island is far more dangerous. Yet, for generations, young readers and moviegoers have found this setup unbelievably exciting. Kensuke’s Kingdom follows in this lineage, allowing audiences to imagine the world of a young boy and his dog finding survival in an unlikely source. The adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s popular novel, Kensuke’s Kingdom, highlights a boy versus nature narrative while tapping into powerful human connection.
Kensuke’s Kingdom Plot
Following the story from Morpurgo, Kensuke’s Kingdom follows a young boy named Michael (Aaron MacGregor) as his family takes a trip around the world. While he struggles to connect with his mother (Sally Hawkins), sister (Raffey Cassidy), and father (Cillian Murphy), Michael keeps a secret from his family. While they try to send his dog away, Michael smuggles Stella onboard their vessel and hides her from view.
Michael tries to save Stella during a particularly dangerous storm, but they’re both thrown overboard. When they awake on an island, they meet Kensuke (Ken Watanabe), a Japanese soldier who’s been on the island for decades. As they learn to help each other, dangerous people lurk just off-shore.
Gorgeous animation keeps the story interesting.
While there are many stories about boys lost at sea, few rely on their visuals to drive most of the narrative. While Kensuke and Michael attempt to communicate, the cultural divides prove too much for most of the tale. The most important character details about Kensuke come via animated montage, and the wordless exchange allows Michael to understand his co-inhabitant on the island. As they grow and learn together, their communication improves. It makes for a heartwarming story element, even if it’s fairly commonplace.
The animation, however, rises to the occasion. Directors Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry bring considerable experience in the field to their feature debuts. Having directed shorts, animated big-budget features (Space Jam, Who Framed Roger Rabbit), and completed special effects for iconic TV (The Simpsons), the two keep the visuals feeling fresh.
One of the most impressive moments of Kensuke’s Kingdom comes in transition as we move from the brilliant technicolor forests to sketch-book-style memories. The minimalist aspect helps drive home the horror that Kensuke endured and speaks the ways that trauma hollows us out. The world can no longer appear bright and gorgeous but instead feels sterile. The visuals themselves are spectacular and drive home the story’s heart.
Additionally, Boyle and Hendry allow the animation to speak for itself. Limiting the dialogue makes the images all the more relevant. It’s most obvious when Boyle and Hendry focus on the environment. They are impressive, making the weather tactile while ensuring the fear of death lurks around every corner. Yes, they are beautiful, but the animation team adds a sense of unease that completes the picture of the jungle.
The metaphors needed fresher ideas.
The narrative heavily implies that our ability to communicate, even on a small scale, ultimately makes us human. However, this metaphor gets a little messy, given the number of creatures communicating with Michael. That connection, across cultures and species, highlights how life “finds a way,” but even through that lens, Kensuke’s Kingdom leaves something to be desired.
It’s not the fault of this film that the world looks pretty contentious right now, but it does make the “why can’t we all just get along” message feel a little quaint. Yes, the respect for the natural world is an obvious positive, but at the same time, Kensuke’s Kingdom feels a little thin. For anyone looking to teach a lesson to their children, it’s worth a watch, but others might seek an animated feature with more depth.
Should I watch Kensuke’s Kingdom?
There’s enough visual prowess on display that we’d recommend this adaptation. While it features a few too many tropes, the overall story is still heartwarming. The importance of humanity and connection is not lost on the audience. Independent animation features like Kensuke’s Kingdom rarely get their time in the sun, but it’s a huge win for the industry when they are confident enough to let the art speak for itself.
Kensuke’s Kingdom opens in theaters on October 18, 2024. Blue Fox Entertainment distributes.
