“THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT” for the Whole Family

 

A fun animated film, The Magician’s Elephant is perfect for the whole family. Playful and imaginative the film provides just enough adventure to enjoy the comedy, determination and antics of all the characters. The animation style reminds me of the recent Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio with creative characters in the years long ago.

A scene from THE MAGiCIAN’S ELEPHANT. Photo courtesy of Netflix

Peter (voiced by Noah Jupe) has been brought up by retired Sgt. Lutz (voiced by Mandy Patinkin), an old soldier, who rescued him during a war in Europe. He full of energy and likable by all the townspeople of Baltese. But things have not been the best for the population as an angry cloud has hovered over them for years. One day while walking in town on his way to purchase his dinner with a coin that the old soldier gave him, he comes upon a fortune teller (voiced by Natasia Demetriou). Since being rescued he has always wondered if his sister had survived and the Teller has given him reason that she is out there somewhere in the realm with the clue “follow the elephant”.

A scene from THE MAGiCIAN’S ELEPHANT. Photo courtesy of Netflix

Since there are no elephants in Baltese, Peter is very puzzled. That is until a magician (voiced by Benedict Wong) comes to town and claims that he can produce an Elephant on the stage of the local theatre.  So begins a tale of the young boy’s quest that includes three challenges he must complete, at the demands of The King (voiced by Aasif Mandy), to find his sister. Director Wendy Rogers does a very good job of bringing the tale to life with drama, fantasy, a bit of peril and some good hearted comedy.

The Magician’s Elephant has been rated PG by the MPAA for some action/peril and thematic elements. The film gets released this Friday March 17 on Netflix. It’s a bit predictable for adults, but for the target audience it’s a wide-eyed adventure.

Additional Film Information:
Cast: Miranda Richardson, Brian Tyree Henry, Natasia Demetriou, Mandy Patinkin, Noah Jupe,
Directed By: Wendy Rogers
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Animation
MPAA Rating: PG for some action/peril and thematic elements
Running Time: 1 hr. 39 min.
Opening Date: March 17, 2023
Distributed by: Netflix
Released on: Netflix

Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com