L'Éléphante du magicien

Another animation film gone straight to streaming, which is such a shame.

The film is very beautiful visually, showing us different and unique places, and in a style that is very pleasing.

The story is interesting, although perhaps not as daring as other recent animated films and at times felt a little too simple. Some themes needed more depth, but the plot is entertaining. As much as it was not as creatively original as say the Spider-man Spider-Verse films, it was a pleasant experience and left an extremely positive balance.

I did enjoy that the moral lesson is very well crafted, always reminding us how we must never lose hope, regardless of the challenge.

Director: "Looks really good! Just one thing, have you ever seen a cloud before?" Animator: "No." Director: "Me neither. I'm sure it's fine."

This one's got quite great deal of tender, genuinely moving scenes. And for the most part the animation looks striking and original despite the obviously lower budget.

(Aside from the clouds, which I know are supposed to look odd but they're just...so obviously not clouds.)

The compelling story is unfortunately often dampened by poor dialogue. It's unbearably contrived and stilted, too often clumsily telling us what has already been expressed visually just in case we're too dumb to pick up on characters' emotions on our own.

But there's so much vibrant content and heartwarming elements that it's impossible to disregard this film, or even dislike it, entirely.

First off, the plot is predictable, and you can guess where the tale is headed, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing because this film is meant to make you feel happy and heartfelt. That caused us to marvel and enjoy the journey, and there were a number of things that contributed to my enjoyment of the journey. First, the directing was excellent; I was astounded by how, in some essential scenes, the camera switched to the character's point of view, giving me the impression that I was a part of the setting they were in. Second, the sound effects and visuals did a lot to make me enjoy the film; for example,the stunning sound effects inspired awe and wonder and were so calming and uplifting that it seemed as though the characters were in the room because of how expressive and lifelike their voices sounded. The character movements were fluent and natural, giving a lifelike experience, and the character animation was so lifelike and detailed that it felt like they were real. The brilliant and fascinating colors of the film made for an exciting and immersive experience. The unpleasant aspects of the movie are kind of concealed, so there aren't many of them. I believe they have discovered the recipe for the ideal animated feature.

A young orphan "Peter" has been brought up by a disciplinarian former-soldier, but longs to find his long-lost sister from whom he was parted at the height of war. Out for the daily shopping (stale bread and fish), he espies a tent in which a fortune teller offers to tell his future. It seems that he might be reconciled with his sibling - but for that he has to follow the elephant, and there hasn't been one in his town for an age. Meantime, a rather hapless magician is trying to entertain the great and the good in the town's theatre when - low and behold - he conjures up... The king arrives in the town to inspect this magically contrived and noisy pachyderm and decrees that if "Peter" can carry out three impossible tasks, he can keep it! The three impossible tasks are quite entertaining, as is the whole film. The story is all a little predictable and it does stray into sentimentality just a bit too often, but it's an engaging family drama with some fun characters and colourful scenarios. Maybe a bit too wordy and probably fifteen minutes too long - it takes an age to get going - it is still a gently entertaining watch that imbues the lead character with some imagination and legerdemain and one that I quite enjoyed on a big screen.

The Magician's Elephant is an exceptional film that also provides a very important, valuable life lesson and it is a perfect movie to watch with family or close friends.

The story follows an orphan boy named Peter (Noah Jupe) who loses his sister at a very young age. Peter has always wanted to meet again with his sister but she has been lost since a newborn. Both of his parents passed away in a war and, ever since then, a strict and old soldier has taken care of Peter. On one special day Peter goes to the market to buy a small fish and stale bread, as that is what Peter and the soldier have for dinner every night, but instead of Peter buying dinner Peter spends his money on a fortune teller to answer his lifelong question. He asks, "Where can I find my sister?" and the fortune teller's response is "Follow the Elephant..."

I absolutely recommend watching this astounding film! The Magician's Elephant is so well-done that it made me and my whole family get very emotional. The animation of this film is wondrous; the visual effects are glorious, beautiful and realistic. The special effects are extraordinary -- I love how all the colors and scenes match the storyline so incredibly well. My favorite scene is when the magician (Benedict Wong) brings the elephant back to the animal's habitat and we realize that Peter is also helping another family get back together. This shows that Peter is not selfish at all. Peter is a kind-hearted soul who deserves to be reunited with his sister. He wants to find his sister so badly and so he obeys whatever the fortune teller tells him to do like, follow the Elephant, which he does. To get to the elephant Peter has to complete three impossible tasks given to him by the King. If Peter completes the three tasks he will earn the right to have the elephant and that will lead him to his dream. You will have to watch to see if Peter's dream comes true!

The film's message is to always care and love your family because, if you don't have them, then who do you have to love? Another message is to always have hope for whatever you do or believe.

I give The Magician's Elephant 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, plus adults. It is available in theaters now and releases on Netflix March 17, 2023. By Keila V., KIDS FIRST!