It’s a tad ponderous, a talkative, exposition-laden tale whose jokes don’t often land. It’s derivative in many obvious ways, as all film fantasies inevitably are.

But “The Secret Kingdom” is ambitious, a tantalizing piece of kid-friendly eye-candy from Down Under that might hold the interest of eight-and-unders just because of the strange and wondrous things it presents.

It’s a kids-on-a-quest narrative that sends siblings into an imaginary underworld of talking pangolins and spectacular caverns, ancient ruins and magical runes that must be read to solve a puzzle.

Writer-director Matt Drummond’s brainchild gives off a strong “Owls of Ga’hoole/Labyrinthe” vibe. It borrows from everyone and everything — “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The Golden Compass,” “The Neverending Story,” “The Wizard of Oz” and even “Star Wars.” Even a small child will recognize a “wizard” not literally “behind the curtain” here, played by a creature — the tarsier — who was the wide-eyed inspiration for Yoda.

Does it makes sense? Sometimes. Entertaining? Here and there. The “Owls” comparison is perhaps the most apt. It’s prettier than the tedious, emotionally flat story it tells.

Some time in the ‘1960s, siblings Peter (Sam Everingham) and Verity (Ayla Brown) move into a big house in the country. As only their mother (Alice Parkinson) has a distinct accent (French), we can only figure out where this is set via the car (a Holden?) and its NSW (New South Wales) license plate.

The parents are fighting, but little Miss Verity ignores that and leads her brother into town, to a peculiar store whose exotic proprieter (Gabrielle Chan) sells Peter a strange compass.

That night the siblings are dropped — in Peter’s bed — into an underworld described in an animated opening credit as a place that separated from “the above” long ago. When armor-plated pangolins roll up like pill-bugs, and serve as wheels for that bed to travel into the labyrinthine caves, Peter fears the worst.

But it turns out the pangolins talk. And when they do, they tell Peter he is their new king, as foretold by prophesy.

“Our king shall not be judged by his years, but by his deeds!”

Peter and Verity, with young Pling (voiced by Darius Williams) as their guide — pangolins sing traveling directions to remember them — they go on a quest to unravel clues, seek magical talismans and foil their nemesis, The Shroud.

They will encounter a two-headed tortoise couple and a scary winged griffin who “doesn’t eat people,” but will give them rides and other such aid as he can.

“I’m an empath. I suppose you could say ‘I eat my feelings!'”

A Luminaire must be consulted, a skeletal army confronted and a legion of armored knight’s gloves must be challenged in the picture’s lone Pythonesque moment.

“Oh, he’s thrown down the GAUNLET!” “You know what they say? ‘Big hands, big gloves!'”

How do you fight giant mailed gloves? By playing rock, paper scissors.

The messaging is of the “All you need is within you” and “Just because youre scared doesn’t mean you’re not brave” variety.

There’s a lot of invention here, a little wit and a touching twist for the finale. But there’s also a staggering load of laws, locations, back-story, creatures and quest stops, most of which need to be explained as exposition. That bogs “The Secret Kingdom” down and it never drags itself out of that mire.

But it’s harmless enough, if you’re looking for something pretty and pretty inane to distract your small children with.

Rating: PG, fantasy violence

Cast: Sam Everingham, Ayla Brown, Gabrielle Chan, the voices of Darius Williams, many others

Credits: Scripted and directed by Matt Drummond. A Saban Films release.

Running time: 1:38