The story starts off with the narrator discussing a secret kingdom. It was ruled by a king whom everyone admired. And both worlds above and below were connected. After the king died, everyone’s mourning for him separated the above world from below.

Peter and his family are moving to a new house since they lost their old one. His little sister, Verity, is all excited. But Peter is nervous – not because of the move, but because he can sense strange things.

He and Verity go across the street to a shop. Something spooks Peter and causes him to break something. He then has to pay for it.

That night, Verity wants something magical from Peter. Then the room collapses and the children end up in an unfamiliar world. They encounter anthropomorphic talking pangolins who consider Peter their king.

Peter denies the whole thing and convinces the pangolins that he doesn’t belong there. But the above world has been closed off for the kids’ protection.

Peter has to find certain items. He and Verity get escorted by a pangolin named Mr. Pling to complete the mission. However, they go the wrong way.

Luckily, songs are used to guide paths. Mr. Pling sings one to help everyone find the right direction.

They need to see the luminare. But a lemur uses a machine to tell Peter, Verity, and Mr. Pling to go away. Yet eventually, he decides to help them.

The three need to follow a riddle. Peter also has to hold a lightbulb, which turns into a fly. It gives him special objects as the pieces.

Later, the main group meet a dinosaur-like creature that they think will hurt them. But he convinces them that he’s on their side. His name is Mandas. He gives them a ride on his back and flies them to their next location.

At some point, they encounter a a two headed turtle (which are actually a conjoined brother and sister) that Peter finds unhelpful. He is also still scared. But Verity reminds him of the brave things he’s done. The turtles ends up being very helpful, too.

However, Verity gets captured and cursed to turn into a statue. If that’s not bad enough, time is also running out until all is lost.

I will admit that this movie started out a bit boring. However, as it progressed, it drew me in more – especially the second half. The reason is because the tension levels increased.

A strong element includes the worldbuilding. A prophecy also guides the characters. There were also only few named ones.

All the characters were strong and memorable, especially the creatures in the world below. I particularly liked Mr. Pling. I also admired Verity and even Peter.

One aspect that makes The Secret Kingdom stand out from other fantasy movies is that it seems to be set in Australia. Even the actors have Australias accents. I admire that unique approach.

As with any good film, this one had some twists and turns. One includes the lemur scene, where he used a machine to ask Peter, Verity, and Mr. Pling to leave. This reminded me of The Wizard of Oz.

Overall, The Secret Kingdom turned out to be decent. I just wish the beginning was more engaging.

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars.