 On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 43% fresh rating based on reviews from seven critics and a rating average of 5.9 out of 10.Tom Huddleston of "Time Out" described the film as "an emotionally wise but logically skewed children’s tale", the logical inconsistencies of which "largely restricts the film’s appeal to bookish pre-teens".Henry Fitzherbert of the "Daily Express" praised the actors' performances, particularly Smith's, and noted that it "casts a magical spell by the touching conclusion".