Capture The Flag review - a Family Space Adventure from Universal Pictures

CAPTURE THE FLAG is a brand new animated movie release from Universal Pictures. Available from Tomorrow 23rd May on Digital Download, and from 30th May on DVD and Blu-ray, it is an all-action thriller of a movie. It tells the story of a boy, his father and his grandfather, and how they ended up protecting the legacy of the original moon landing.

At the beginning of the movie our young hero isn't a future Astronaut, he's a kite-surfer, and his surfer mates help him when they discover a wealthy and egocentric billionaire has decided to wipe away any signs of the original moon landing, discrediting the astronauts and everyone else involved.

Here's a short clip to give you an idea...

We were sent a copy to review, and my 2 boys really enjoyed it, especially my 7 year old. The plotline is a little complicated - the boy's Father and Grandfather are Astronauts, and an evil billionaire plots to remove valuable minerals from the Moon, destroying the flag planted by the Astronauts during the first Moon landing. The boy, Mike, along with his friends and their pet chameleon, plus his Grandfather, stow aboard a Space Shuttle to get to the Moon and save the day.

There is nothing realistic about this storyline, obviously. It's pure fantasy, but mixed with animated recognisable footage from the Moon landing, and as such it does have a weird dreamlike quality to it. The characters are likeable and the animation well done. Faces especially have a lot of movement and expression. It's all-action, with a little mild peril and a lot of excitement.

To have a bit of fun in the spirit of Capture The Flag, Universal have shared a colouring sheet and a guide how to build your own rocket, which you can save to your computer and print off by clicking on the images below...

We enjoyed the movie and I think this is one that is especially good for school aged children around 5-10. There's a depth to the story that will certainly be missed by younger viewers, plus an ecological message and the film also sees Mike's estranged family pull back together for a common aim. It's not 'soppy' though, and has enough action that the messages aren't lost on more lively youngsters. As an adult it's maybe a bit far-fetched to really pull you in, but an enjoyable movie and a good one to watch together with your children.

Capture The Flag is available from 23rd May on Digital Download, and from 30th May on DVD and Blu-ray priced £9.99/£13.99.