The Ghost of Monk's Island

I have very fond memories of watching this at Saturday morning cinema (where a lot of Children's Film Foundation stuff was shown). As a young boy I loved the story. It was the kind of adventure I wished I could have, a cross between Enid Blyton and Arthur Ransome, tinged with the possibility of the supernatural. There's an innocence not seen so much these days (its dated style would probably put today's kids off from watching it). But I had another reason for loving it; my dad wrote the score, and I was very proud of him. Sadly, we lost him some years ago. But the film's still here, and well worth a look if you can find it, not least from a nostalgia point of view if you're over a certain age. I give it 6.5/10 (but the music is obviously a ten!). God bless, Dad.

This is awful. Patronising to kids? Yes. They are trusted as "good sailors" with a boat and yet - due to their own stupidity - everything they do on the sea turns to bilge.

Useless kids end up on an island.

Strange plot device; they could have conjured up a sea fret or sudden storm? But no the once capable children make a hash of their adventure, running out of petrol? Really? Losing the oar? Seriously! Well how about the kid's near- drowning by falling out of the boat, having taken off his lifejacket?

Oh my! No wonder, then, that my contemporaries decided to become delinquents! Only good for the occasional location spots.

Wooden acting by middle class kids connected to the film industry perhaps?

Awful.

A little gem of days gone by when boys were allowed to be boys and girls were allowed to be girls. Would any kid today know how to make a kite, catch a fish and cook it etc. probably not as they spend far too much time with their noses buried in mobile phones. The skills evident in this film were ones that I had as I was in the Cubs and then the Scouts so I could identify with the children in this film. It will probably not be enjoyed by anyone born after about 1960 however but that's their loss.

This was originally a 7 part series.Pity the poor kids having to sit through this on a Saturday morning.It seems to be more like a survival lesson.Don't take off your lifebelt,don't eat unripe apples.How to fish from the beach and cook the fish you catch.Though the funny thing is that whenever something is needed it suddenly comes to hand.A lot of plot holes.For example why does nobody think of calling the Lifeboat.I suppose if they did there would be no story.

The title is the scariest thing about this CFF lark in colour; and even the slowest kids in the audience should quickly figure out the identity of the mysterious robed figure wandering about the island our heroes have found themselves stranded on.

Tips on how to fix a boat, give artificial respiration, display a distress signal, tell an egg is off, not drinking water until it's been boiled or eating green apples are liberally sprinkled throughout the script to the merry accompaniment of a noisy skiffle score presumably meant to make sure young viewers don't get nightmares after the villain has received his usual ritual dunking.