(Cert U, 81mins): Starring the voices of Robbie Williams, Tom Baker, Joanna Lumley, Ian McKellen and Kylie Minogue. Directed by Jean Duval, Frank Passingham and Dave Borthwick

At one point the second most-watched TV programme after the evening news, The Magic Roundabout was one of those programmes that appealed to adults and children alike.

With the kiddies loving the sugar-fuelled antics of Dougal the dog et al and adults getting off on the apparent drug-culture references and political satire, it was The Simpsons of its day.

Prime material, then, for a big-screen adaptation. After all, with something for both nostalgia-seeking adults and animation-hungry kids, how could it possibly go wrong?

A combination of below par computer-generated graphics (Pixar have been spoiling us for too long) and a plodding storyline that makes Brian the Snail seem like Speedy Gonzales soon takes the spin out of the titular conjuror's carousel.

After Dougal accidentally releases the evil Zeebad (Baker) from his prison, he and his pals, blue-blooded bovine Ermintrude (Lumley), sweet kid Florence (Minogue), near-comatose hippy rabbit Dylan (Bill Nighy) and bashful snail Brian (Broadbent), embark on a quest to find three magic diamonds before Zeebad uses them to turn the world into a giant snowball.

Despite some excellent vocal talent, Nighy is great as the laid-back cotton-tail and Ian McKellan's brief Gandalf-like turn as the highly-sprung wizard Zebadee, this lacks the charm that we have come to expect from the ever-popular television series.

The screenplay can't decide whether to appeal to the little 'uns or cast an air of adult nostalgia.

In the end, the film appeals to neither camp, reducing the search for the diamonds to a series of lacklustre action set pieces.

The visuals are so polished and shiny that the characters lack the personality of their jerkily animated former selves.

While not an utter mess, The Magic Roundabout nevertheless manages to miss the mark completely.