What if the impossible were possible? This is the question posed through the adventure of young Peter in The Magician’s Elephant on Netflix. We tell you why you shouldn’t miss this tender animated film.
Recommended for over 7 years old.
Once upon a time : Peter is looking for his long-lost sister. When he crosses paths with a fortune teller in the marketplace, only one question comes to mind: is his sister still alive?
In response, the seer invites Peter to follow a mysterious elephant. The young boy then embarks on a memorable journey during which he will have to accomplish three seemingly impossible tasks which, by magic, will upset his town.
With the voices of: To embody the colorful and touching characters of The Magician’s Elephant, actors from the Marvel universe have been chosen, such as Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange), who plays the magician, and Brian Tyree Henry (Eternals), who lends his voice to Leo Matienne.
But also names from the small screen like Mandy Patinkin (Homeland), who plays Vilna, and Natasia Demetriou (What We Do in the Shadows), who plays the narrator, the fortune teller. Finally, Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place 2) embodies the young hero Peter.
On the French voice casting side, some will recognize in particular the stamps of dubbing stars such as Pierre Tessier, regular French voice of Ryan Reynolds in particular, Barbara Beretta, voice of Bryce Dallas Howard, but also Gérard Darier, voice of Billy Bob Thornton, and Nicolas Marié, vocals including Tim Roth.
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What they will love: Adapted from the novel of the same name by Kate DiCamillo, a famous American author of children’s books, The Magician’s Elephant is an enchanting film that strikes a perfect balance between a childish and dreamy spirit and a relevant and educational message.
We owe this film to the writing of Martin Hynes, who co-wrote Toy Story 4, and to the staging of Wendy Rogers, former visual effects supervisor of the Chronicles of Narnia 2 or Puss in Boots, who delivers here on his first feature film.
Together, they offer a story, certainly predictable, but moving, which will fascinate young and old who dream of adventures and who are full of hope. Peter’s quest, which seems impossible, will affect the whole family as his determination to find his little sister is inspiring.
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Moreover, the relationship that Peter develops with the young magic elephant is of great tenderness and young children will only be able to marvel at this majestic and friendly being.
In addition to Peter, the other colorful characters of The Magician’s Elephant should make the audience laugh as much as move the audience thanks to their identifiable personalities. Finally, the film’s ultra-realistic animation style will charm young and old alike with its sublime colors, its highly precise features and its naturalistic aesthetic.
In addition, the sometimes soft and sometimes energetic music of the film, composed by Mark Mothersbough, who has already worked on those of the films Thor: Ragnarok and The Mitchells against the machines, should resonate in the hearts of the spectators.
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What may worry them: Peter’s story is quite sad and could hurt the youngest, especially during flashback scenes that can hurt the most sensitive. The same applies to the passages where the elephant is a prisoner and is mistreated.
In addition, the little ones could be very worried in front of the tests – normally impossible – that Peter must pass. They will get a few scares when their hero is in danger or gets into trouble.
Let them be reassured, no big monsters on the horizon or even big bad guys, the fright or fear comes mainly from events and stories related to the characters who only dream of better days.
What they will keep inside them: In addition to Peter’s inspiring adventure, The Magician’s Elephant is also a wonderful story of resilience that will allow young people to understand the importance of believing in the future, keeping hope and drawing strength from the pains of the past to better understand the future path, which is not necessarily already mapped out.
This new animated film to discover on Netflix also summons universal messages, even if quite mature and perhaps less accessible to toddlers, it promotes values such as determination, courage, empathy, sharing and of course love.
The Magician’s Elephant is available on Netflix.