THE WATER BABIES is another vibrant children's adventure film directed by the one and only Lionel Jeffries and made to directly reference MARY POPPINS and BEDKNOBS & BROOMSTICKS. This one's based on the forgotten-about Charles Kingsley novel and feels very Dickensian at the outset, with a young chimney sweep accused of theft and forced to go on the run. The first half of the film is live action and brings to life the Victorian era in an able and enjoyable way, with a wealth of actorly talent - including Bernard Cribbins, James Mason and David Tomlinson - around to add to the fun. Things slip a little when this becomes an animation, feeling rather Disneyfied, although the low-fi style of the animation is quite endearing. It's not THE RAILWAY CHILDREN but for kids it'll do the trick.
Review of The Water Babies
