As he travels home on the train for the Christmas holidays Kay has the strangest feeling something very mysterious is about to happen... there is snow on the wind and wild dogs are roaming the countryside. The a chance meeting with an old Punch and Judy man, Cole Hawlins, the guardian of the elixir of life and a shabby box of powers, pulls Kay into an array of fantastic worlds where he encounters ancient heroes, wolves, Romans, rats, flashing rings and flying ponies.
This kid's TV series is obviously the work of a very overactive imagination. I couldn't even begin to describe the weird and wonderful things which occur in it, most of which is completely irrelevant to the plot. So, while it's all well and good being transported back in time to ancient Rome and transforming into a stag while running through a forest, they don't necessarily justify these sequences by what has gone before. The end result is a mish-mash of styles than occasionally are magical and captivating, but will leave the viewer rather confused more often than not.
Another small problem is the characters.. there's too many of them. five children, half a dozen bad guys (and one girl), and more useless grown-ups than you can shake a stick at. I felt rather dizzy as they tried to flit through everyone, and a lack of screen time to some is unfortunate as there's a few I'd like to see more of (like the tomboy Maria and the idiotic Chief Inspector). Also noticeable is the fact that there isn't enough dramatic tension between the young lead and the evil-doers.. they barely meet at all, as it happens. You feel as though it isn't much effort for him to keep the box safe. Besides, the puppet master is so powerful, couldn't he do it himself? That lazy..
The special effects are a little cheap, but that adds to its charm because this was probably state of the art stuff for a 1984 TV drama. The acting is strong across the board, with everyone from the lowly Rat to the young hero Kay putting in performances that fit their roles perfectly. I'm sure children 12 and under will lap it up, especially during Christmas time. For adults though, the unclear plot direction and the unsuspensful proceedings might stop it from being essential viewing.
Before I go, I must mention the ending. Yep, it's a deux ex machina of the worst kind, something totally clichéd after all the originality that proceeded it. Very disappointing, and its niggles like this stop 'The Box Of Delights' from being a classic. Like say, 'Five Children And It'. Agree or disagree?! Get in touch! 6/10
This kid's TV series is obviously the work of a very overactive imagination. I couldn't even begin to describe the weird and wonderful things which occur in it, most of which is completely irrelevant to the plot. So, while it's all well and good being transported back in time to ancient Rome and transforming into a stag while running through a forest, they don't necessarily justify these sequences by what has gone before. The end result is a mish-mash of styles than occasionally are magical and captivating, but will leave the viewer rather confused more often than not.
Another small problem is the characters.. there's too many of them. five children, half a dozen bad guys (and one girl), and more useless grown-ups than you can shake a stick at. I felt rather dizzy as they tried to flit through everyone, and a lack of screen time to some is unfortunate as there's a few I'd like to see more of (like the tomboy Maria and the idiotic Chief Inspector). Also noticeable is the fact that there isn't enough dramatic tension between the young lead and the evil-doers.. they barely meet at all, as it happens. You feel as though it isn't much effort for him to keep the box safe. Besides, the puppet master is so powerful, couldn't he do it himself? That lazy..
The special effects are a little cheap, but that adds to its charm because this was probably state of the art stuff for a 1984 TV drama. The acting is strong across the board, with everyone from the lowly Rat to the young hero Kay putting in performances that fit their roles perfectly. I'm sure children 12 and under will lap it up, especially during Christmas time. For adults though, the unclear plot direction and the unsuspensful proceedings might stop it from being essential viewing.
Before I go, I must mention the ending. Yep, it's a deux ex machina of the worst kind, something totally clichéd after all the originality that proceeded it. Very disappointing, and its niggles like this stop 'The Box Of Delights' from being a classic. Like say, 'Five Children And It'. Agree or disagree?! Get in touch! 6/10