Kensuke’s Kingdom

Featuring some very handsome animation (I’m not normally a fan of 3D animation made to look hand-drawn, but it totally works here), this was a seriously enjoyable film about a kid who washes up on a tropical island and winds up befriending the old Japanese man who lives there. I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for the “two characters who don’t speak the same language have to survive together” subgenre, and Kensuke’s Kingdom was a particularly strong entry into it — the two main characters are both quite memorable, there’s a fun sense of adventure, and a surprising amount of emotional heft. It’s delightful.

***1/2 out of ****