Swiss Family Robinson

A family on their way to New Guinea are wrecked in a storm and come ashore on a deserted island. They begin to live on what they salvage from the ship. The film builds no survival tension; the narrative treats the island as an opportunity, and the treehouse, the water wheel and the arrangement with the animals are shown at length. The traps prepared against the pirates in the final section are its liveliest part. Ken Annakin directed, adapting Johann David Wyss's novel and shooting on location in the Caribbean. Who it's for: anyone looking for classic family adventure. Who it's not for: viewers sensitive about the use of animals; the scenes staged with wild animals are a problem by current standards.