Greetings again from the darkness. Director Ben Gregor may have delivered the rarest of films in this day and age … one filled with adventure, goodness, and life lessons … and one the entire family can watch and enjoy together. Simon Farnaby (PADDINGTON 2, 2017) adapted the screenplay from Enid Blyton’s series of four books published between 1939 and 1951. Ms. Blyton passed away in 1968, yet she remains one of the best-selling authors of children’s books.
Tim (Andrew Garfield) and Polly (Claire Foy, “The Crown”) are a married couple with three kids. Polly comes home in a stupor one evening, confessing to Tim that she quit her job due to a principle that meant a great deal to her. Since she’s the breadwinner of the family, and their car and apartment were tied to the job, they find themselves instantaneously broke and homeless. Their plan is tied to a ‘Dream Binder’ put together many years ago, and off they go to live in a rustic barn landlorded by marble-mouthed Brian (the film’s writer Simon Farnaby) and Bella (Farnaby’s real life wife Claire Keelan). Rustic is a bit of an understatement as the place is a mess and has no electricity.
Youngest daughter Fran (Billie Gadsdon, HERE, 2024) doesn’t speak much, while Joe (Phoenix Laroche) is having video game withdrawals. Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) is the angry teen who wants nothing to do with a place lacking WIFI and friends. Daddy Tim is the dreamer, while Mama Polly is the practical one. Together they plan to grow tomatoes and market Tim’s delicious tomato sauce recipe. Meanwhile, Fran discovers the titular magic tree which leads to an enchanted land of colorful characters, including the charming and delightful Fairy Silky (Nicola Coughlan, “Bridgerton”) and the skeptical Moonface (Nonso Anozie, “Sweet Tooth”). Things escalate once Fran’s siblings join in the magic. Trips to Land of Goodies (“Don’t be greedy”) and Land of Birthdays (cold due to icing) also involve an angry Pixie, Saucepan Man, Mr. Wazisname, and Dame Washalot. The kids find out it’s not all rainbows and unicorns when they cross paths with the vicious Dame Snap (Rebecca Ferguson).
Polly’s ultra-wealthy and snobbish mother (screen veteran Jennifer Saunders) can’t comprehend this new lifestyle and looks forward to telling them, “I told you so.” Of course, this is a throwback fairy tale, so we are fairly certain she won’t get the chance. The closest comparisons to the film would be along the lines of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA (2005), THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN (1988), and most any Monty Python feature. This particular family adventure leads to some wonderful life lessons and yes, brings the family closer together. The books from Enid Blyton are from another era, but the film has a contemporary feel as it reminds us that somewhere along the line, we lose the magic we had as kids … well, all except Tim, who has held on tightly.
Opens nationwide in theaters on August 21, 2026
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Craig Gillespie previously directed I, TONYA (2017) and LARS AND THE REAL GIRL (2007), among other projects, and it’s perhaps those two films – both featuring odd outsiders – that motivated producer James Gunn to choose him to helm the feature film that brings DC’s Supergirl back to the big screen. The screenplay is by Ana Nogueira, and of course features characters originated by Jerry Siegel and Joel Shuster, with the key source material being the comic, “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow”.
Greetings again from the darkness. It’s been thirty-one years since I sat stunned in the movie theater after being first introduced to Woody, Buzz, and the entire gang of Pixar toys. It was the year BRAVEHEART won five Oscars and TOY STORY, which marked a shift in filmmaking, won none. That was Pixar’s first feature film and since there was no Animated Feature Film category at the time, the Academy didn’t really know what to do with it. Fortunately, John Lasseter (since fired) and Andrew Stanton certainly knew what to do, as this is the fifth film of the franchise, and they’ve managed to create cinematic magic with each one.
Greetings again from the darkness. Three-time Oscar winner Steven Spielberg readily admits to a lifelong fascination with life beyond Earth. Two of his most iconic films (plus a couple of others) dealt with just that topic: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) and ET: THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL (1982). Now, more than forty years later, he uses 79 years of collective data to question how humanity would react to full ‘disclosure’ of alien activity. What’s interesting is that Spielberg and co-writer David Koepp present the story as a high-octane action-thriller of conspiracy rather than in a traditional science fiction format.
Greetings again from the darkness. What a welcome relief it is to watch a movie designed specifically for kids. No double entendres or secret winks of wit … just a straight-forward movie to entertain kids and provide a simple life lesson about the importance of friendship. Of course, parents will recognize the title as that of the 2008 mega-bestselling kids book by Deborah Diesen.
Greetings again from the darkness. I became a Universal Monsters fan as soon as I reached the age where my parents would let me stay up to watch the later horror movies on Fridays and Saturdays. That love for the films and the stories and the monsters has only grown over the years, so you can only imagine the excitement I held for this film … especially on the heels of last year’s impressive FRANKENSTEIN from visionary Guillermo Del Toro. When my movie hopes and expectations reach this level, disappointment often follows; however, not this time!
Greetings again from the darkness. ‘Arco, phone home’. OK, that’s not actually a line of dialogue in this Oscar nominated animated feature film from w-d Ugo Bienvenu, co-director Gilles Cazaux, and co-writer and Felix de Givry … but the line sure fits. Taking place in the future, the film’s strong themes are family, friends, and coming-of-age.
Greetings again from the darkness. Artificial Intelligence ranks with politics as one of the hottest topics of conversation these days. Of course, we don’t yet know what role AI will play in society; however, we are pretty certain all aspects of our world will be touched in some form. This story from writer Marco van Belle and director Timur Berkmambetov (WANTED, 2008) is set only three years in the future, and the premise is that AI judges now decide criminal cases. As with most stories steeped in science fiction, your enjoyment of the film will depend on your willingness to buy into a concept that seems a bit far-fetched. But that buy-in will likely leave you entertained, rather than rolling your eyes (ok, maybe both), by what’s on screen.
Greetings again from the darkness. Let’s get this out of the way upfront. My only issue with this sequel is that it exists at all. It’s pretty much the definition of a money grab. Why should a successful stage production that lasted about three hours be turned into two films totaling almost five hours? There are only two possible answers: either more story to tell (nope, not here), or more money to make (yep!). Now, I have nothing against studios cashing in on a good thing – especially these days, when tickets are difficult to sell. So, my one issue with the film, really isn’t much of an issue at all … in fact, I really enjoy the spectacular visuals and could watch Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba any time.
Greetings again from the darkness. Chinese filmmaker Bi Gan’s third feature continues his string of visually stunning films and dramatic visual effects. However, this one runs 160 minutes, and seems to be inaccessible to most moviegoers, while the film will surely mesmerize a few. Bi Gan is a cinematic artist who is at ease toying with time and our sense of normalcy.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 