***While advanced access was provided, all opinions are my own***
To keep elementary school aged kids locked into a movie for 90 minutes requires more than an intriguing storyline. My kids need action, visual splendor, a good story, and something to root for.
Coming out on March 17th on Netflix, The Magician’s Elephant checked all of these boxes.
The Action
My whole crew was impressed by the quick pace of the story – focused on both a boy’s journey to reunite with his sister as a town resurrects itself from an era of gloominess. The film is based on Kate DiCamillo’s (past Newberry Award winning author) book so you know the storytelling is rich – and simple enough for the little ones.
The action is bedded in “three impossible tasks” the main character, Peter, is asked to complete. These tasks move the tale along quickly with the help of a mythical fortuneteller that appears (and then vanishes) several times as the story’s narrator.
The Visuals
The animation reminded me of Brave or Frozen – definitely top-notch.
The elephant, townspeople, and Peter are so life-like that I forgot that I was watching animation at all. The town’s gloom conflicts with the bright colors of the feature’s magic – the amazing elephant, the fledging magician, the eccentric King, other bright wildlife cameos, and various elements of the pre-war town.
My kids particularly enjoyed the scene where Peter jumped from a rooftop with a bright red parachute to complete an assigned “impossible” task.
The Story
There are two simultaneous stories happening in The Magician’s Elephant.
Story #1 is about Peter, an orphan raised by the war general that saved him during battle, finding a sister that he had presumed dead. Peter’s mundane existence is turned upside-down after he is clued into a different direction by a fortuneteller that suddenly appears in the market before quickly disappearing.
The second plot is about a town in desperate need of hope. This town was colorful and full of life prior to the war, and now is made up of serious citizens that have never laughed or seen the sun! The fountains in the town’s market square are turned off, its communal leader never smiles, and clouds blanket its sky.
Both stories unite through Peter pursuit of the truth about his long lost sister and to restore belief in his town.
The Outcome (Spoiler free)
Without giving away the ending, I will say that my family was rooting for every character presented – even those that seemed initially foreboding. Yes, Peter was the main protagonist, but we found cheering interest in the King, Peter’s guardian, the neighbors downstairs, and, of course, the elephant. There were no true villains – quick unusual for a kid’s plot.
I was so into the ending, that I wrote down a poignant quote (paraphrasing) near the end of the show:
“Belief is a great and invisible thing…until, like sleep, we lose ourselves. Then we stop and are restored.”
I loved it.
The Magician’s Elephant was a great way to spend a few lazy hours on the couch with the kids – definitely exceeding my expectations.
See it on Netflix starting March 17th.
My Rating: 3.5/5
Netflix Release date: March 17th, 2023
Movie Trailer: here
