I would occasionally catch this movie on TV when I was younger, and it always brings out a nostalgic, innocent and adventurous feeling every time I watch it. It is a family-oriented film about a young Norwegian boy named Haakon Haakonsen, who works as a cabin boy on a ship in the 1850s, and then discovers that those on board are actually pirates.

It is a great story to bring the family together, full of adventure, morals and heroism, all supported by some good acting performances from the respective cast and an impressive island and ocean scenery. As a result, this movie kind of reminds me of Disney's Swiss Family Robinson, but is Norwegian-made and the story centers more on the kid than the Robinson movie.

You won't find too much of the Hollywood-style action, drama or suspense in this movie, as evident with the overall simple and innocent atmosphere; it's mostly a feel-good film that has a perfect storybook setting for children, but also suitable for adults.

Grade B

Stian Smestad ("Haakon") is engaging in this hybrid of "Treasure Island" and "Robinson Crusoe" seafaring adventure. Faced with the foreclosure of his Norwegian farm, he agrees to sign on as the ship's boy for two years. After a brief stop in England - where they pick up Royal Navy sailor "Lt. Merrick" (Gabriel Byrne) they set sail again and shortly into their new voyage, the old captain dies and "Merrick" assumes command in the style of Capt. Bligh. Their ship is wrecked in a violent storm and our young castaway has to fend for himself on a deserted island. He is quite an adaptable and versatile wee lad, and soon has things shipshape and Bristol fashion; he discovers a horde of treasure and even befriends a bear. On exploring his island, he discovers two of his friends with some local tribesman and they soon also encounter Byrne, but this time he shows his true colours as a treasure seeking pirate. The rest of this is fairly procedural, but with lots of traps and chases through the jungle before a pretty obvious conclusion. It is quite good fun, though Byrne would not have been my first choice - he doesn't really have much charm or menace as the baddie.

This production of Shipwrecked truly went the corner of the globe for its cinematography. The story took us from Norway, to London, to Sydney and then to the South Seas. Appropriately we got location shooting in the United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, and Fiji.

I'm sure in Norway the novel Haakon Haakonsen was thoroughly enjoyed by boys of all ages. Young Stian Smestad plays the title role in Shipwrecked about a kid whose injured father cannot take on a sea voyage and his lack of payment guarantee will force the family off their farm. So young Haakon takes dad's place on the ship and first port of call is London.

Where they pick up a new mate in Gabriel Bryne, arguably the only cast member you might know. He's not what he seems, he's as much an honest sailor and Lieutenant in the British navy as Long John Silver was a cook. In fact he's in the same profession as Silver and like in Treasure Island in Sydney he gets a few of his fellow pirates on board the ship as crew. They also pick up a stowaway in Louisa Millwood-Haigh who is an orphan trying to get to Calcutta and an uncle.

From Treasure Island we now get a bit of Robinson Crusoe when after a fight Smestad is marooned on a tropical island. If you know both classic novels you know how this will turn out.

Disney Studios released this in America and small wonder that they chose this property to put under their banner. It's a good adventure story for kids with some really nice color cinematography of the South Seas. Young Smestad comes off like a real kid not a Hollywood juvenile. And Gabriel Byrne is the kind of villain you love to see get his. Unlike Treasure Island this don't bond with this kid.