The Magician’s Elephant movie review

MOVIE TITLE: The Magician’s Elephant

This beautiful animated movie premieres exclusively on Netflix on March 17, 2023.

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hour 39 minutes

GRADE: A-

IN A NUTSHELL:

The story follows Peter, who is searching for his long-lost sister. When he crosses paths with a fortune teller in the market square, he wants to know, if his sister is still alive. To get the answer, he must find a mysterious elephant and the magician who will conjure it, setting Peter off on a journey to complete three seemingly impossible tasks that will change the face of his town.

The movie was directed by Wendy Rogers. It was based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo with the screenplay written by Martin Hynes.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

People and an elephant are in perilous situations
Talk of shooting an elephant
Some destruction
We watch a sword fight
An old lady’s legs get hurt
There’s a fortune teller your kids might be interested in learning more about
A boy jumps off a very high building

THEMES:

Destiny
Imagination
Friendship
Hope
Family
Anything is possible
The importance of having support from others
Belief
Courage
Caring for animals
Post-war life
Persistence

THINGS I LIKED:

The wonderful voice talents include Mandy Patinkin, Brian Tyree Henry, Benedict Wong, Miranda Richardson, Noah Jupe, Sian Clifford, and Natasia Demetriou.
The animation is absolutely gorgeous to look at. While the artists struggled with hair and certain elephant movements, there was still so much detail, color, and creativity in the visual presentation that I really enjoyed watching this animation.
We get to spend time in what looks like a beautiful, magical European village. The detailed tile work on the buildings reminded me of charming towns I’ve seen in Portugal.
This is young Noah Jupe’s first animated film. He worked with Mandy Patinkin previously in the 2017 movie Wonder.
Even though the ending is predictable, it still gave me all the feels and brought tears to my eyes. So sweet.
I love the positive theme in the movie that will teach children to believe that anything is possible. The featured boy in the story uses his critical-thinking skills to solve problems, which will, hopefully, inspire other kids to do the same.
The story also features an element of thinking of others and doing what’s right for them, not just for yourself. We need more movies with that message nowadays. It seems like so many movies focus on characters who are selfish and only care about living “their truth.” We live in a world with other people and creatures and so we need to carefully consider how our choices and behavior affect those around us.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Not all of the accents work. Some sound very forced. The narrator’s accent, for example, seems to change throughout the movie.
The idea that anything is possible puts a boy at risk and causes him to do dangerous things. Parents need to explain the balance between risk and safety and courage so their kids don’t just jump off buildings because they believe they can fly. Just sayin…

FUNNY LINES:

“That sounded good until I said it out loud.” – village man

INTERESTING LINES:

* “What if?” – Leo Matienne (Brian Tyree Henry)

“But how? How will the world ever change if we do not question it?” – Leo Matienne (Brian Tyree Henry)
“I think anything’s possible.” – Peter (Noah Jupe)
“Extraordinary things are possible if you believe.” – Magician (Benedict Wong)
“Things are only impossible til they’re not.” – King (Aasif Mandvi)
“Do you believe? That is how it will be accomplished.” – Magician (Benedict Wong)