Writer/director Matt Drummond is paying tribute to the fantasy films of his youth with “The Secret Kingdom.” It’s a valentine to Jim Henson-style cinema, where imagination dominates and adventure awaits the lead characters, who are sent on a lengthy quest to find special objects, face adversaries, and battle to reunite a broken kingdom. The screenplay has the ingredients to get at least halfway to excitement, but Drummond strangely struggles with the endeavor. He’s absolutely committed to constructing a fantasyland odyssey, but he’s missing a sense of urgency with the picture, unable to find dramatic power, especially for younger viewers who will likely feel restless with the fatigued spirit of the movie. “The Secret Kingdom” has all the good intentions in the world, but the helmer doesn’t have the budget to really provide stunning visuals, and he’s often too busy working on the animation to really pay attention to what’s happening with the snoozy storytelling. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com