Quentin Blake

Roald Dahl's Esio Trot review

Much criticism has been levelled at Peter Jackson over his decision to turn The Hobbit into three movies, with the final film running at around two minutes per page of the book. However, the book on which the 90-minute Esio Trot is based contains just 45 pages of text - only one of which doesn't contain any of Quentin Blake's marvellous illustrations. Consequently, it would probably be fairer to call the film Richard Curtis's Esio Trot, such is the amount of material that's been added for this adaptation.

Chloe Crumb is that most common figure in redemptive childrens' fiction - the lonely outsider. Her mum's an unbearable aspirant MP, her dad's downtrodden, her sister's a goody-two-shoes and she doesn't have any friends. Soon, she's befriending pungent gentleman of the road Mr Stink and learning all sorts of life-lessons as a result. The underlying message - everyone's got problems and we could all use a little extra kindness - resonates with the season, even if the regular fug of CGI miasma wreathing Stink fails to compensate for the absence of Quentin Blake's wonderful illustrations in David Walliams's source book. Some of the dialogue is too trite to be entirely explained away by the target demographic - 'I realise now how important family is,' declaims Sheridan Smith as the pushy mum towards the end. But it's elevated by spirited performances from Smith, Johnny Vegas, a game Hugh Bonneville as the titular tramp and particularly, newcomer Nell Tiger Free as Chloe.