The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island

While you may have read many of Gertrude Chandler Warner’s The Boxcar Children books as a child, you probably didn’t know that the first two adventures of the Alden children had been turned into movies. Both films received a limited release and relatively little marketing. The Boxcar Children (the first movie) came out in 2014, and the sequel, The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island, was released earlier this year in select theaters only.

Here’s the official description for Surprise Island from Shout Studios –

“From the beloved children’s book series, the next chapter of The Boxcar Children is here! The Alden children have a home with their grandfather now – but their adventures are just beginning! The first surprise comes when they learn they’ll be spending the summer on a private island. A kind stranger who lives there is always happy to help the children out . . . but does this new friend have a secret?”

This adaptation was written, produced, and directed by Daniel Chuba. The vocal cast includes Joey King, Dane DeHaan, Griffin Gluck, J.K. Simmons, Talitha Bateman, Carter Sand, Stephen Stanton, Gil Birmingham, and Martin Sheen. That’s a relatively strong cast with some recognizable names.

Take a look at the trailer and then continue reading to see what worked and what did not in this movie.

With a cast including well-known names like Simmons, DeHaan, and Sheen, as well as rising star Joey King, this movie looks great on paper, but the movie’s biggest drawback becomes evident in the trailer – the animation. The animation, from W2 Studios, is not your standard film animation. In fact, it looks more like a PC game than a movie. Characters speak, but their words don’t match their mouths. Movements are stiff and mechanical. Two characters go to shake hands and . . . let’s just say that’s not how people shake hands. And don’t get me started on watching the characters attempt to run! It almost feels like there are a few layers of animation missing.

The editing also feels off. Characters will, for example, walk out of the frame, but the shot continues for a few extra seconds with no clear reason. There are a few instances when the shot zooms in on what turns out to be nothing. Anyone who has ever watched a horror film or thriller knows that these shots normally imply characters have missed something or someone is watching them, but not in this case. It’s just extra footage that throws off the pace.

If you can get past the odd animation and editing style, the story itself is not bad. Though slow in many parts, it is not designed to be overly challenging or engaging. This is a family film meant especially for younger audiences. It has humor, some teaching moments, and a light mystery for viewers to solve. The narrative does not waste time recapping the first movie, as it isn’t needed to enjoy or understand this film. There are a few references to the boxcar though. (If you’ve made it this far into the review and still don’t know why they’re called “The Boxcar Children,” here’s a quick explanation: In the first story, the children have recently been orphaned and decide to live in an abandoned boxcar in the woods before they are reunited with their grandfather. Done.)

One of the movie’s immediate strengths is its portrayal of its characters. Each of the Alden children (Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny) has a distinct look, and elements from each of their personalities are incorporated into the movie. For example, Henry’s strength as a leader and consistent protection of his younger siblings is seen several times, as is Violet’s recent discovery of her love for music and creativity. It should also be said that the movie finds a lot of its humor in the Alden’s faithful dog, Watch.

The story closely follows Warner’s second novel (originally published in 1949) and starts right away with the first seen from the book. After spending the school year with their grandfather, the Alden children are thrilled to finally learn the big secret their grandfather has been keeping. He has planned for the children to live in a barn on a private mysterious island for the summer. With the exception of a fisherman, Captain Daniel, who lives on the shore, the children have the island to themselves to explore for the summer. Now, this may not sound like a treat to you, but you have to remember that these are the same children who once lived in a boxcar and learned to take care of themselves. To them, this is better than any surprise they could have guessed.

Side note – you may be questioning the lack of adult supervision. Warner originally wrote her books for school age children who were struggling to take an interest in reading. She found that her books were popular with students who liked the idea of children being in charge and taking care of themselves. With this in mind, she wrote more adventures that kept the grandfather or another responsible adult in the picture, but primarily left the Alden children to explore and develop their own adventures. Also, though not stated in the movie, the original story was set in the 1940s. Times have changed, and by today’s standards, the lack of adult supervision would certainly be questionable. – End of side note

When Grandfather Alden and the children arrive to the island, they are surprised to learn that another man is living on the island and staying with Captain Daniel. Adult viewers who read the opening credits will be able to guess immediately who the man is. The surprise is somewhat ruined for those viewers in the opening five minutes. Though the grandfather does not meet the man, he is assured that everything is fine and that the children will be safe. He accepts this (again, wow times have changed!) and leaves the children to start their adventure.

The children soon meet the mysterious stranger living on the island. He introduces himself as Joe. Joe has a broken arm and is suffering from amnesia after falling off a cliff. Captain Daniel suggested that Joe spend time on the island to recover and expects that the kindness and friendship of the Alden children will help his recovery.

The story follows the adventures of the children as they spend their summer on the island. Due to the new adventures and the discoveries they make every day, they name it “Surprise Island.” Many of their adventures involve their new friend, and they’re constantly surprised by his wealth of knowledge. As the children continue to explore, they find more clues and answers about their mysterious new friend and his connection to them. Want to know who Joe really is? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out!

Special Features
• Interviews With Cast & Crew – Go behind the scenes with many of the movie’s voice actors including Joey King.
• Interview With the Composer – Composer Ken Burgomaster shares why he chose a small ensemble of people and instruments and relied heavily on a piano and string quartet to reflect the movie’s characters and setting.
• Behind-The-Scenes Interview With The Sound Editing And Mixing Team – The Foley artists share how sounds are produced and engineered for an animated film and provide specific examples from this movie.

The special features are nice, but they don’t feel professionally produced. For example, Joey King is out of focus for her entire interview. The insights on sound, music, and audio production are a bit different from the special features on most animated films. These insights are a nice addition.

Takeaway
All in all, The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island isn’t the best family or animated film by any standard. It’s a faithful adaptation of the original source material, and it does a nice job of bringing the four lead characters to life with distinct personality traits and physical characteristics. The story, though, is slow, and the mystery is not difficult. The editing often feels off, and the animation looks underdeveloped. However, the younger audiences that this movie is intended to please are less likely to notice these flaws.