CineVue by Matthew Anderson

It's a gem of a film to be cherished by one and all.

The Telegraph by Robbie Collin

This is high adventure in safe hands.

Time Out London by Dave Calhoun

The film’s pleasures are simple – soaring landscapes, old-school DIY adventure and some sweet performances by the child actors. It makes for a charmingly old-fashioned family adventure.

Variety by Catherine Bray

It’s heartening to see Ransome’s fiction taking on a new and more independent form, suggesting an ongoing relevance for a series of books that could easily be viewed as too dated for modern children. As the kids put it: Swallows and Amazons forever.

Screen Daily by Fionnuala Halligan

For a film industry determined to open itself to a diversity of voices, this is very much a safe, back-to-basics play for British audiences in need of some reliable comfort food.

Los Angeles Times by Sheri Linden

As clunky as the movie can feel, there’s a winning toughness to its unsentimental view of childhood and its nostalgia for a pre-digital age.

Total Film by Neil Smith

There’s an undeniable charm here that, allied with the picturesque locations, results in a nostalgic throwback to a gentler age.

The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw

This Swallows and Amazons is decent enough: but probably best savoured on the small screen after tea on a rainy Sunday.

Screen International by Fionnuala Halligan

For a film industry determined to open itself to a diversity of voices, this is very much a safe, back-to-basics play for British audiences in need of some reliable comfort food.

Empire by Ian Freer

It still feels old-fashioned rather than timeless and even on its family entertainment terms, it just doesn’t quicken the pulse-rate.