The Magic Faraway Tree movie, omg finally!

[MarchionessVonSausage]

I just caught the trailer for this on youtube, it looks wonderful! They've clearly spent millions.

I'm in Australia, it's out in cinemas 26 March, 27th in the UK.

But damn, I live in a small town and our local cinema is closed for renovations for months, I won't get to see it (sobs).

God I adore those books. Please if anyone sees the movie please come and give a review, please pretty please X

I’m was excited about this then re-read the books for the first time since I was 6. They are so badly written! I was shocked.

I’ll still see it I think. Perhaps the ideas will translate well to film without Blyton’s terrible writing!

Moonface appears to be Moonhair. Crescent Moonhair to be accurate. Surely they could have come up with something better than that? It’s supposed to be make believe, he doesn’t need to resemble a real human. I loved the books as a child, but I’m 59 and don’t want to spoil my lovely memories of reading them myself, and later to my children, by watching the movie. It could be really good and I could be missing out, but I rather like what’s in my own head😄

I do think they’re at the least interesting end of the spectrum of EB’s writing. I mean, the concept is brilliant — a giant magic tree whose top branches access a series of changing magical lands, some delightful, some threatening. But the writing is twee and formulaic and the children are so under characterised that you could swap around Jo, Bessie and Fanny at will without it altering the story in the slightest, apart from the gendered chores at home.

I didn’t like them as a child, either. I classed them with The Wishng Chair and Mr Pinkwhistle. I think she’s better at writing for older children. I think the Adventure series (Island of Adventure, Castle of Adventure, Valley of Adventure etc, with Dinah, Jack, Philip and Lucy Ann) are her best writing.

I just listened to a podcast with two people discussing the film, one of the loved the film, and the other hated it. One read the book as a child, the other didn't. Discussion of Moonface's lack of moon face and procession of moonhair featured in the discussion!

It was the lastest episode in a podcast called called TV Reload (which I've never listened to before) if anyone is interested.

Yeah that irked me too.

Did the book reader hate it?

I’m just back from the cinema with my eight year old. She loved the books when she read them last year. I cried twice!

Overall I loved it and thought the magic was brilliantly done. My DD was with an 11 yo friend and they were giggling and eating lots of popcorn during the set up but as soon as Fran finds the faraway tree we didn’t hear a peep for the rest of the film!

She did lean over and say ‘Mum, the ladder is longer than in the book’.

if it’s not sacrilegious I think the real-world parts were even better than the magical bits. I’d have loved to see an extra world in there but overall it was brilliant and perfect for a rainy Easter week trip!

We went last night after my 18 year old excitedly demanded we go as she has lovely memories of me reading the books to her endlessly.

I thought it was lovely. It’s not the books, it’s two generations on (by inference) and it’s a modern tale with the Tree revisited.

It’s warm, and funny, and just magical enough.

Dame Snap is Dame Snap but talks about how she had to change her name, which was a nice nod to the modernisation.

Andrew G is great, it’s all terribly British, and there are so many faces pop up it’s ridiculous.

Go along without expectation of it being the books and just enjoy it.

Yes - they reckoned that those who read the book as a child probably wouldn't like it and those that hadn't would probably like it.

Pretty much said the dislike would most likely be due to the changes meaning it wouldn't match their childhood interpretation. But because the changes were actually well done, the non book readers would enjoy them.

Hmm, posted on the other thread too. It’s a sweet story but nowhere near true to the original book(s). In its own right, I enjoyed it but don’t go expecting a faithful EB remake! Moonhair?! I mean - surely someone with a big round moon for a face would have been better? Found that odd. And Silke was too big to be the Silke of my imagination. The dad character was an absolute waster too - not surprised his MIL hated him!

Im so so excited, I cant wait, seeing it next week. I LOVE TMFT books and it looks so well done. It's such a magical story, although yes a bit disappointing Dame is now Snap and not Slap

Thanks for all the reviews!

I'm seeing it on the weekend. DS9 isn't interested so I may end up going by myself.

As for the differences to the books, I'm so old & jaded that I'm used to tv/film buggering up books. If they get this sort-of right I'm ok with it.

I remember seeing the movie of 'Flowers in the Attic" (really showing my age here) and being annoyed but looking back, some parts of that book WOULD NOT have translated well & probably given it an R18+ rating.

Keep the reviews coming, much appreciated 😍

I'm looking forward to Jessica Gunning as Dame Washalot, that's good casting, I love her.

My kids loved the books but were so appalled at the trailer that they refused to watch it.

I agree with this. I loved those books so much, the trailer is just not anywhere near accurate. It's too special to mess around. Why couldn't they have done it like the Harry Potter movies, classy and true to the books.

I took my granddaughter aged 9 yesterday, she had seen it advertised and had asked if we could go, we had read the stories as bed time stories when she stayed over at ours, from the original version of the books.
No it’s not a literal copy of the book more “inspired by” we would have both liked moonface to have a moon face and the ladder was crazy but we both liked the film. A gentle family film that they rarely seem to make these days with a cosy warm feeling, updated to make it more relevant to modern children.
Don’t go expecting to see the books on the screen and just enjoy it for itself would be my advice, as some bits fail to hit the mark.
Audience at the cinema seemed fairly split between families and older folk who remembered the stories from their childhood judging by conversations.

I watched it yesterday with my 6 year old. Absolutely loved it. No it’s not a direct re-telling of the books but it was still brilliant. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

I really hope there’s a sequel with a Connie type of character. And more Dame Snap.

I'm currently reading them with my daughter but am already a bit disappointed that Moonface does not have a Moon face, and the children, instead of being around 6, 8 and 10 as they seem to be in the books are 13, 16 and 17!

I will say that the trailer was not a great representation of the film, which was much better than the trailer (or the poster) suggested!

We watched it yesterday. Quite liked the Moonface character very glad he is called Moonface despite the different appearance. I thought from the comments here that he had been renamed!

Disturbing lack of toffee shocks.

I liked the nods to other adventures like the melted snowman.

I like Nicola Coughlan but I don't think Silky's character was very well written here. She seemed very ditzy and lacking substance.

Very well cast I thought.

@Onemanwenttomo I'm sad there are no toffee shocks. Or pop cakes?

In the book, they went to the Land of Goodies where all the houses and shops were edible. Walls of sugar, chimneys of chocolate & window sills of peppermint cream. Joe wanted a hot dog, and sure enough found a hot dog shop run by a gingerbread man.

Amazing to think hot dogs were available in 1943. I wonder what sort of sausage was in them? They're still available in 2026 but the 'sausage' is a tired frankfurt.

Taa again for the reviews 😍

We saw it today. It wasn't an adaptation of the book really. It was a film based on the book. Some bits worked well, others were a bit meh
Overall it was magical and whimsical and just what I needed. Other than the stupid fucking woman in front of me who felt the need to look at her phone every 5 fucking minutes

I went to see it this week, it’s good but not as fantastic and whimsical as I’d hoped it would be. When Fran first visited the tree they practically introduced everyone, took 5 seconds to barely explain about the worlds and they were off up the ladder, no questioning, deeper explanations about how long they could stay or what type of worlds there were etc, it felt very rushed and Fran didn’t question anything, just started climbing with a group of magical people she’d just met.

I also didnt like how the growing spell worked differently on the potato and then the tomatoes.

Who is Dick?I thought it was Joe? Joe Bessie and Fanny, then changed in rewrite to Joe, Beth and Frannie.

I think he's their cousin who comes to visit and join in the adventures