Cillian Murphy’s near-perfect adaptation of “beloved” adventure is now streaming for free in the UK

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In the UK, you can now stream “Kensuke’s Kingdom,” an animated adventure film featuring Cillian Murphy, completely free.

Drawing inspiration from Michael Morpurgo’s timeless novel, the narrative unfolds around a young boy named Michael and his canine companion, Stella Artois. A series of unexpected events leads their family to embark on a global voyage by sea. However, when a violent tempest arises, 11-year-old Michael and Stella find themselves unceremoniously cast into the ocean.

The pair find themselves shipwrecked on an isolated island, encountering a Japanese man called Kensuke. He offers his assistance, and together with Michael, they nurture an indestructible relationship. Throughout their struggle to protect the island, they impart crucial life lessons to one another.

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In the 2023 animated film, Sally Hawkins lends her voice to Michael’s mother, Murphy voices Michael’s father, Raffey Cassidy portrays Michael’s sister Becky, Aaron MacGregor voices Michael himself, and Ken Watanabe takes on the role of Kensuke.

Following its broadcast on BBC One today, you can now watch “Kensuke’s Kingdom” without charge on BBC iPlayer streaming service.

The animation was made by Lupus Films, the studio known for producing several successful screen versions such as “The Tiger Who Came to Tea”, “The Snowman and The Snowdog”, “Mog’s Christmas” and “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”.

Kensuke’s Kingdom is often referred to as an engaging adventure story, and it has earned an impressive nearly perfect rating of 97% based on 29 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

The artwork’s narrative was highly commended; Film Threat even went so far as to call it a “masterpiece of traditional animation”.

In simpler terms, Cinemalogue stated that this animated film is visually captivating and evokes strong emotions. It presents a charming tale of growing up that focuses on conservation, bravery, and self-exploration. This story has a deeper impact than typical narrative patterns.

City AM remarks that “Kensuke’s Kingdom” is not to be missed by those seeking a deeper experience in animation, as it meets and even surpasses the high expectations set by its original content.

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2025-08-03 21:19