The Little Prince – Film Review By Charlotte Reid

Director: Mark Osborne

Writer: Irena Brignull (Screenplay) Bob Persichetti (Screenplay)

Stars (Voices): Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd

Based on The Little Prince, the 1943 book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, this Netflix animation tells the story of a young girl who moves next door to a mysterious old man – also known as ‘The Aviator’. His intriguing stories about a Prince show her that she is growing up too quickly and their unlikely friendship blossoms. She has a lot to learn about how her imagination can not only keep her amused, but teach her about what is essential in life, even when she cannot always see it.

The main theme of the film is that inevitably people grow up and forget how to be a child, in doing so they get distracted by concerns that seem ‘essential’ and logical, and forget that we cannot always see the most important things. As The Aviator puts it “Growing up is not the problem – forgetting is”. This idea is encapsulated by The Prince, a character that seems to live solely in the world of the imaginary, but is not immune from the perils of the adult world. We’ve seen these ideas many times before, in The Polar Express (2004) we leave knowing that as an adult you can always stay true to your inner child. As with most kids films, you can pretty much guess the underlying theme from the get-go, but you cannot predict the surreal nature it uses to take us there.

The detailed animation is impressive, especially when you consider that the two ‘worlds’ – the real world and the story world – are in completely different styles. The real world has the animated look we’re used to seeing in many Disney/Dreamworks movies, with the story world animation being a lot more surreal. The attention to detail adds to the characters without saying a word. The Little Girl always seems to be wearing a uniform-like outfit, even when it’s the summer holidays. The mother has a little strand of hair that’s always out of place in an otherwise perfect appearance, even when she puts a present in the bin, she’s ever efficient by putting the card in the recycling.

The surreal world enhances the sense of uneasiness that this dreamlike narrative takes on, and you can’t always put your finger on what exactly it is. This never comes across as scary in any way, so children won’t be put off, but there is something unnerving to these ‘imaginary’ sequences. I can’t help but draw similarities to Coraline (2009) in this regard – you can quite happily let your kids watch it, but even the adults are affected by the tone, even if it’s less full on in this case. If you’re looking for a story that makes a logical sense, this is not the film for you. While most children’s films exaggerate plot twists to keep everyone entertained, this requires you to really let go in order to accept the message it’s giving. For some people this might be asking too much, and the whimsical tones might alienate those who prefer a more straightforward narrative and leave them rolling their eyes.

There aren’t many laughs to be found – younger viewers may be entertained by the bumbling Aviator – but in general they are few and far between. I don’t think this is something the creators were too concerned with however, the focus here is staying connected to our imaginations rather than our childlike humour. I would also say that The Little Girl isn’t particularly complex, likeable – absolutely – but her personal arc is a little predictable and she’s not exactly oozing with personality.

This is definitely a film that can enjoyed by the whole family, but don’t see the animation and young protagonist and write this off as ‘one for the kids’. It aims to leave an impression on all of its audiences – whatever your age – and I think it succeeds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iloGbpCbDQE