THE THIEF LORD

WB

RELEASED 26 May 2006

This wannabe ‘Harry Potter’ movie is based on the novel by Cornelia Funke, which was published in 2002 (coincidentally a few years after the boy wizard had hit puberty). The tale follows six-year-old Bo (Jasper Harris) and fifteen-year-old Prosper (Aaron Johnson), two recently orphaned brothers who escape their impending separation by running off to Venice. There they meet the ‘Thief Lord’ and his band of child followers. It’s not very magical, there are some recognisable British actors struggling with the lame comedy, and all the child actors are bland ‘poshos’. And for a film set in Venice, why doesn’t anyone speak Italian? This is one strictly for young children only.

TWO OUT OF FIVE