Justin and the Knights of Valour

David Walliams, Rupert Everett, Julie Walters, Mark Strong, Saoirse Ronan… judging from the impressive voice cast you’d think this fantasy family animation was a British/Irish production, but it’s actually Spanish. Freddie Highmore is weedy young Justin, who dreams of becoming a Knight of Valour like his grandfather. But knights have been ousted from the kingdom, so he must go on a journey to find three monks to mentor him in the ways of courage and valour. Uninspiring animation and a plodding story (it’s co-written by Spanish director Manuel Sicilia and Brit Matthew Jacobs) mean there’s little in the way of excitement, and most attempts at jokes fall flat. There’s a glimmer of hope when sprightly henchman Sota bounces onto the scene – you know he’s going to be voiced by Rupert Everett before he even opens his mouth. But, like David Walliams’s wizard and Antonio Banderas’s self-styled knight, his comic potential isn’t exploited. Too many cooks or a language barrier? Who can say, but the result won’t entertain many beyond sword-obsessed toddlers too young to follow the story anyway.