Starting out much like Dakota Blue's previous movie The Golden Compass, it soon becomes apparent the polish isn't on the same level. On top of that, it looks as if the budget was severely cut soon after the filming started, and the production values go way down to a made-for-TV level. Another difference to The Golden Compass is Moonacre's lesser violence, instead of which there is some poorly working romance and comedy.

The one consistent highlight is Dakota Blue, who proves she can be enchanting under any circumstances. The perfect heroine. She's a little older, which makes her different by a small amount, but only very arguably any worse.