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Swiss Family Robinson

Swiss Family Robinson

Adventure · Family · 1960

After being shipwrecked, the Robinson family is marooned on an island inhabited only by an impressive array of wildlife. In true pioneer spirit, they quickly make themselves at home but soon face a danger even greater than nature: dastardly pirates.

Movie details

Swiss Family Robinson

“THE ADVENTURE OF ADVENTURES!”

1960 Adventure · Family 2h 6m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

After being shipwrecked, the Robinson family is marooned on an island inhabited only by an impressive array of wildlife. In true pioneer spirit, they quickly make themselves at home but soon face a danger even greater than nature: dastardly pirates.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Swiss Family Robinson?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Two small children and a ship's cook survive a shipwreck and find safety on an idyllic tropical island. Soon, however, the cook dies and the young boy and girl are left on their own. Days become years and Emmeline and Richard make a home for themselves surrounded by exotic creatures and nature's beauty. But will they ever see civilization again?

William Tell

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The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

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Renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou has sworn vengeance upon the rare shark that devoured a member of his crew. In addition to his regular team, he is joined on his boat by Ned, a man who believes Zissou to be his father, and Jane, a journalist pregnant by a married man. They travel the sea, all too often running into pirates and, perhaps more traumatically, various figures from Zissou's past, including his estranged wife, Eleanor.

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Lord of the Flies

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When their plane crashes, 25 schoolboys find themselves trapped on a tropical island, miles from civilization.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Ken Annakin

Written by

Lowell S. Hawley

John Mills

John Mills

Father

Dorothy McGuire

Dorothy McGuire

Mother

James MacArthur

James MacArthur

Fritz

Janet Munro

Janet Munro

Roberta 'Bertie'

Sessue Hayakawa

Sessue Hayakawa

Kuala, Pirate Chief

Tommy Kirk

Tommy Kirk

Ernst

Kevin Corcoran

Kevin Corcoran

Francis

Court is in session

Put Swiss Family Robinson on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.