The Little Ark Reviews

A pair of adopted children, one Caucasian and the other Malaysian, are separated from their parents during the 1953 flood that devastated Holland. The captain of a houseboat (Bikel) rescues the kids and takes care of them and their pets. In the end the children are reunited with their father--but, sadly, their mother has drowned. The mother's death and some of the flood sequences may be a bit intense for very young children. Beyond this, however, THE LITTLE ARK is an outstanding family film. Bikel is wonderful as the pseudogruff boatman, and there is an enthralling animated sequence, narrated by Bikel, that dramatizes the old Dutch legend of a maiden who gives up her soul to save her true love. The production values are first rate--especially the photography of the Dutch landscape--and the film's song, "Come Follow Me," was nominated for an Oscar.