The Thief Lord (2005)

40% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
69% of users liked it
(8,622 ratings)

A thieving band of orphans who steal from the rich simply to survive encounter a supernatural merry-go-round with mysterious powers in this screen adaptation of award-winning author Cornelia Funke's popular series of children's books. Left in the care of their abusive aunt following the death of… More A thieving band of orphans who steal from the rich simply to survive encounter a supernatural merry-go-round with mysterious powers in this screen adaptation of award-winning author Cornelia Funke's popular series of children's books. Left in the care of their abusive aunt following the death of their mother, two young boys flee to Venice, Italy in hopes that life will be easier on their own. Times are tough in Venice though, and after meeting mysterious young thief Scipio the desperate runaways soon agree to join his band of pint-sized pickpockets. When a detective assigned the task of bringing the youngsters in becomes privy to their impoverished plight, he joins them in solving the mystery of a powerful merry-go-round that appears to have special powers. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Richard Claus
Genres: Action & Adventure, Kids & Family, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jan 5, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Mar 14, 2006
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

Will Wade, Common Sense Media
Magical orphan drama explores the definition of family.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
The kind of entertainingly gonzo storyline that completely disarms us, simply because anything could happen.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...too derivative of almost every other children's adventure to make much of an impression, and the direction seems rather pedestrian to boot.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...too simplistic, too episodic, and too disjointed for this adult to enjoy, but...kids will probably like its intrigue and most of its generally sweet nature.
David Cornelius, eFilmCritic.com
The Thief Lord is a magical little story, lovingly and expertly crafted. What an absolute delight.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Jens S

This adventure film set in the beautiful city of Venice aims primarily at a young audience. That does not mean there is nothing for adults here, but they may have a harder time connecting to the story, what with very few believable grown-up characters in the story and a rather… More
This adventure film set in the beautiful city of Venice aims primarily at a young audience. That does not mean there is nothing for adults here, but they may have a harder time connecting to the story, what with very few believable grown-up characters in the story and a rather disjointed way of telling it. The plot gets surprisingly complex for a kids adventure, but the dialog remains rather shallow and simplistic. The soundtrack often makes things sound more exciting and bombastic than they actually are. The movie's biggest asset is the setting, which is primarily real Venice and oozes the atmosphere of the city (even if obviously filmed in winter). The characters do remain rather flat. Now, kids certainly don't mind all that, there is plenty of stuff happening and glimpses of magic between the adventure plot. So the target audience should have fun with it, as an adult there have been more coherent films to watch with children than this.