PodBill Just what I expected

Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

AutCuddly Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

Mark Lorman I really don't know where to start - did any member of the cast, crew, producers, directors or any of their friends/family/children bother to read the book? I can only vouch for Ray Winstone as an actor (as I don't know the rest of the cast) but to me it seems that SKY has rounded up a bunch of 'extras' from Chelsea (Sloan Rangers) and poor Ray has been left to carry the film alone - unfortunately, he doesn't... It is without doubt the worse production I've ever seen him in (he has a cockney accent but the story is set in Dorset - 140 miles, four counties and a 150 years away!) Even sad but funnier is the character portrayal of John Trenchard who is supposed to be an orphan country boy but has diction like a member of the royal family! Away from all this the production is rushed, leaving no time to develop any of the characters, you get the feeling that they are trying to cram a 300 page book into a 30min 'quickie'.I first read this book as a child; Fritz Lang in 1955 made another dreadful copy of this film - I can't help wondering what's so hard with reading the book and filming a production that script stays at least as close to the original to allow anyone that has read it realise there was some common ground! I don't think anyone involved in the production should be concerned about Blackbeards curse, as I am sure J Meade Falkner will rise from his grave and dash their simple brains out and perhaps throw SKYS budget off Chesil Beach (Dorset)!

BlueLightAlarm When I heard that Sky were making this as an Xmas special I was very excited but after watching it I am left very disappointed. The story felt so rushed that at times I wasn't sure if I was watching the actual feature or a trailer with all the action and none of the story. There was no time to build the characters or properly explain what was happening and I think that viewers who are not familiar with the book will be left confused. This could have been twice as long and should have been in order to tell the story properly. Whoever is responsible for this mess deserves no less than Blackbeard's curse!

DrDFox This recent version reunites Ray Winstone and Phil Daniels who carved out their early careers together in gritty British reality films Scum and Quadraphenia J. Meade Falkner's novel, on which this outing is based, was once a perennial favourite along among such classic family adventures as Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe. The 1956 movie deviated a long way from the original storyline and it took until 1984 for the three hour TV miniseries to do it any justice on screen. This included filming at the genuine castle at Carisbrooke featured in the book.This latest version has less time to fill out detail, but has no than many feature films have managed to portray novels of similar length. The result is, however, a journey that moves though each part of the plot like a box ticking exercise to moved all too (implausibly) fast. The character development was shallow and, alongside the mediocre performances, left me with no feeling of empathy. Not all of me puts the blame on the acting though. The role taken on by Winstone is easily suited to his type cast manner and Aneurin Barnard is believable. I think the real problem for me was in the screenplay itself and the inane dialogue made available to the players. An underwhelming, but honest, four out of ten for me

Robin Clarke I always enjoy the Sky produced made for TV movies that are released around Christmas time. They always seem to get the balance right between a good but not excessive amount of story telling and action and adventure. Anyone who saw 2012s Treasure Island will know what I'm talking about. Aside from a few slightly dodgy performances from ex-Eastenders actors Moonfleet does not disappoint. The story flows nicely and at a good pace and the writing is generally of a very high standard. Aneurin Barnard and Ray Winstone are fantastic as the leads and work well as the characters they are portraying. If you have a few hours to spare and are looking for something light-hearted but highly entertaining I would highly recommend Moonfleet.