Search: Starring Clive Russell

The locations are breathtaking, the longships built to scale, the costumes handmade, even chainmail is constructed by the original method.

Napier - who is surely going to step up from short films soon - tightly controls the mood.

A gentle comedy that targets its jokes at environmentalists rather than the usual targets, with beautifully drawn characters you can't help but feel for.

The film continually and cleverly explores the line between fiction and reality, falsehood and authenticity.

If you can tolerate the soft focus and picture postcard shots in return for a pleasant, feelgood movie, by all means go see it.

Everyone involved here has done better elsewhere.

If you're in the mood for a nicely crafted, well-acted, thoroughly entertaining time-filler featuring familiar faces who are well within their comfort zone, you could do far worse.

The performances are strong and the script by Ted Whitehead boned and lean.

The film's biggest asset is Steadman, who approaches her character in a much more rounded way that we are used to seeing in films of this sort.

Nye's adaptation is simply marvellous as he brings new life to the railway and especially everyone's favourite girl, Bobbie, played here by the delightful Rooper.

This gentle tale of love in the face of the threat of war could do with a bit of rocket propulsion itself.

Has a feelgood factor that's hard to beat

Although this is a flawed film, it certainly isn't the disaster many had feared, and it will provide viewers with much to think about.