Espen 2

The lovable beggar boy Espen and the brave princess Kristin embark on a long and dangerous journey to a mysterious castle to find the water of life they need to save Kristin's parents and Espen's brothers. It's going to be a long journey filled with danger, humour, monsters and villains with a human face. And it's so much fun to watch. The Ash Lad: In Search of the Golden Castle is closer to an adventure film than a classic fairy tale, and with its impressive production design, awfully cool characters and fast pace, it will keep audiences of all ages entertained. (18/02/2020)

The continuation of one of the best fairy tales of recent years is a success and the Norwegians score more plus points. Among other things, I enjoyed the typical fairy-tale props (a witch, seven-mile boots, a three-headed troll, a beautiful princess and a clever protagonist). The film has pace, beautiful practical effects and a magical atmosphere. I loved it and enjoyed it.. 7.5/10. (03/02/2020)

It's the kind of creative failure where the crew is unable to film a royal ball in such a way that it doesn't look like a neighbor's barbecue, but instead wastes budget on a hideous digital squirrel. As a fairy tale it lacks any stylization, as a fantasy it lacks everything, and on top of that the whole thing is riddled with directorial, dramaturgical, and editing errors that the first two hours of a twelve-credit "film basics for dummies" course at a private general film school must surely be able to eradicate. A little of this could only help. (29/04/2020)