The film opens similarly to “The Chronicles of Narnia,” depicting a family forced to leave war-ravaged London and live with their eccentric "Uncle Albert" (Kenneth Branagh), his unpleasant son "Horace" (Alexander Pownall), and their housekeeper, "Martha" (Zoë Wanamaker). They long for home and their mother (Tara Fitzgerald), but it’s really their father (Alex Jennings) who is away battling an unspecified threat that occupies their thoughts. While playing on the beach, they stumble upon a peculiar rock and its resident—a Psammead. A Psammead? That's what they wonder, and they quickly learn it's an old creature dwelling in the sand with the ability to grant one wish each day (which disappears at sunset). At first, the children use their wishes for simple pleasures, but gradually they desire more significant outcomes—even though everything they accomplish will vanish when night falls. The eldest son, "Cyril" (Jonathan Bailey), attempts to control his siblings’ desires, a task that becomes particularly challenging with "Robert" (Freddie Highmore), who is brimming with plans to bring their father back. Meanwhile, their dreadful cousin grows suspicious of their daily activities—and it would be terrible if that fool were to get hold of a wish! This is fundamentally a pleasant children's tale expanded to run for ninety minutes, and I believe the length works well. The child actors are appealing, the story emphasizes warmth, yearning, and playful antics, and the animation of "It" from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop is appropriately unsettling at the beginning. It’s an agreeable and uplifting movie experience, featuring a humorous and occasionally sharp script that avoids excessive emotionality, and I found it to be quite entertaining.

Source on TMDB