The Princess and the Goblin

József Gémes's 1991 animation is adapted from George MacDonald's nineteenth-century novel. Princess Irene lives in a castle in the mountains, while beneath the ground live goblins who avoid sunlight and are planning revenge on those above. Curdie, a miner's boy, overhears the preparations underground and can warn nobody; Irene is helped by a grandmother who lives in the castle's attic and whom only she can see. The film tells its fairy tale from the dark side, and the goblin scenes may frighten young viewers. It was a co-production of Hungarian, English and Welsh teams and made with the traditional methods of hand-drawn animation. The story is hurried in places and parts of the book are skipped. Who it's for: viewers who like classic hand-drawn animation and adaptations of fairy tales. Who it's not for: anyone hoping to watch with very small children; some scenes are frightening.