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Four Kids and It
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
| name = Four Kids and It
| image = Four Kids and It poster.jpg
| caption = Official promotional poster
| director = Andy De Emmony
| producer =
| writer =
| based_on = 'Four Children and It' by Jacqueline Wilson
| starring =
| music = Anne Nikitin
| cinematography = John Pardue
| editing = Alex Mackie
| studio =
| distributor =
| released =
| runtime = 110 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget =
| gross = $588,001
}}
'Four Kids and It' is a 2020 British fantasy film directed by Andy De Emmony and written by Simon Lewis and Mark Oswin. It is based on the 2012 novel 'Four Children and It' by Jacqueline Wilson, which in turn is based on E. Nesbit's 1902 novel 'Five Children and It'.
The film stars Paula Patton, Russell Brand, Michael Caine and Matthew Goode.
Plot
The film portrays a family on holiday in Cornwall. Two siblings, their father, his girlfriend, and her two daughters have to live in the same house. The kids hate each other at first but begin to get along when they discover a mysterious creature, "Psammead", also known as Sand Fairy, with magical powers.
The creature has a "one-wish-a-day" policy, and the kids eventually wish for their parents to reunite (one child wants her father to live with her mother, while another wants to live with her father and thinks her mum hates her). This is the reason they made sure their parents did not cancel the holidays.
They travel back a century when their aristocratic neighbour Tristan's grandfather learns about the Sand Fairy. Then he holds Ros at gunpoint and forces her to tell him about the creature. However, Smash, Robbie and Maudie, who asked the creature for superpowers, rescue her.
They went to the past to ask four other kids how to make a wish permanent, so that they can wish for their parents to be together with them again. Those kids don't know how to make a wish and the four return to the present where Tristan is trying to use the creature for his own dastardly deeds.
Tristan finds the Sand Fairy's location by putting a tracking device under Ros's shoe while she and her family went to his mansion. He knew about her because of the picture his grandfather drew after they went to the present (although he didn't know that they were from the present). They then take the creature with them and trap Tristan on the beach.
Afterwards, they realize that they actually like each other better than they thought and Smash finally starts respecting her mother. They take the creature to their house without letting their parents know, hiding him in the bathroom. As the creature collects "offerings" (which are things that he finds nearby), he ends up collecting many things. Before Ros could make her wish, her father takes them to the beach.
Cast
* Billy Jenkins as Robbie
* Ashley Aufderheide as Samantha
* Teddie-Rose Malleson-Allen as Ross
* Ellie-Mae Siame as Maudie
* Paula Patton as Alice
* Russell Brand as Tristan Trent III
* Michael Caine as the voice of Psammead, Sand Fairy
* Matthew Goode as David
* Cheryl as Coco * William Franklyn-Miller as Carl
* Paul Bazely as Sgt. Gas
* Finbarr Doyle as Security Guard
Production
Principal photography began in July 2018 in Ireland.
Reception
The film has an approval rating of based on reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of . The site's critics consensus reads: "'Four Kids and It' has a few moments of whimsy and charm, but it's not enough to leave a lasting impression." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 based on reviews from 7 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Guy Lodge of Variety wrote: "'Careful what you wish for' may have been the essential moral take away from the sourcebooks, but that wasn't to discourage wishing for anything at all: In all respects, this serviceable but anodyne programmer could dream a bit bigger."
Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter called it "More curio than classic, Four Kids and It may hold children's attention (and sometimes test adults' patience) over the movie's brief running time, but seems unlikely to inspire many a second viewing."
Anna Smith of Empire Magazine wrote: "The kids and Caine are good, but this lacks the magic of its source novels. Younger children may enjoy it, but its attempts to entertain older viewers mostly fall flat."
It earned $588,001 at the global box office.
References
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