©Blue fox Entertainment
It’s no secret that some of the most awesome animated films on the planet have emerged from post-WWII Japan. While Kensuke’s Kingdom is not a Japanese production per se, it is based on a novel by a British-born author who includes the story of a soldier from Nagasaki in his engaging narrative. And the film’s visual signature bears all the hallmarks of Japanese animation.
Kensuke’s Kingdom is based on an eponymous children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo. Directed by Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry from a screenplay by Framk Cottrell-Boyce, the animated film made its debut in June of 2023 at the Annecy International Film Festival.
The film’s narrative arc focuses on the fate of a British teenaged boy named Michael (voiced by Aaron MacGregor) who is reluctantly accompanying his parents (Cillian Murphy and Sally Hawkins) and sister Becky (Raffey Cassidy) on a worldwide cruise in their small sailing vessel. As they cross the Pacific Ocean, they are buffeted by a huge storm, and Michael is swept overboard along with Stella, his beloved pet dog, whom he had smuggled on board. Stella’s name is well-chosen, evoking images of the star-spangled heavens that can be seen in all their glory on the canopied horizon.
©Blue fox Entertainment
Fortuitously, Michael is cast up on a remote island inhabited by an elderly, reclusive war veteran named Kensuke (Ken Watanabe), who becomes a guardian spirit to the young boy. Kensuke, who took refuge on the island after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, is at first annoyed at Michael’s sudden appearance; the elderly man initially greets the boy with an admixture of paranoia and possessiveness, literally drawing a line in the sand to mark their terrirories, but the two gradually bond with each other and join their energies to preserve their pristine realm.
Kensuke’s Kingdom is nothing short of a tenderly told masterpiece of style and sensitivity–a tale told from the heart, though at first it seems as though everyone’s heart is beating to a different metronome. It is a delight to watch their pulsations ultimately find resonance with each other. The characters, both human and non-human, are lovingly depicted with all their foibles.
A strong subtext of the film is concern for the natural environment. There is a clear message here that true peace comes only when all living things are bonded in harmony with each other, but it is never a strident or preachy screed. Directors Boyle and Hendry are most adept at listening to the unique heartbeats of all the creatures who populate this lovely film. It is therefore easy to excuse the film’s occasional lapses into maudlinity.
©Blue fox Entertainment
As Yasmin Omar pointed out in her thoughtful review for Empire: “Though low-stakes for an adventure film, this is nonetheless an engaging, found-family eco-fable that imparts an important conservationist message with considerable, at times impressionistic, style.” As an example of this, Omar points to the sensitive way the animators have depicted the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, which is visualized here in an style reminiscent of the ukiyo-e drawings of the printmaker known as Hiroshige.
This restrained visual style carries the story forward convincingly and with a quiet elegance that engages the viewer from start to finish. No need for whiz-bang special effects here: if one is to be marooned on a remote island, Kensuke’s Kingdom is about as good as it gets.
©Blue fox Entertainment
Rating: A+
If you like the review, share your thoughts below!
Check out more of Edward’s articles.
Here’s the trailer of the film.