The Little Prince - NR

This tender fable may be more enjoyable to adults than kids.

Rating: NR for not rated Running Time: 88 minutes Release Date: 01/01/1974 Genre: Family and Kids

Common Sense Note

This true and tender adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's fable will not appeal to young children, who may seem to be the target audience based on the age of the young star. Indeed, the themes in this film (the little prince dies at the end by snakebite) will leave some children disturbed. Only older children, aged 9 and up, who are in the mood for a slow and tender film are recommended to see it. This is a musical parable that adults may enjoy more than children, but older kids who don't find it too schmaltzy may be intrigued and moved--not, however, by the music!

The Little Prince's decision to sacrifice himself for the sake of the flower he left behind on his planet will cause some children to want explanation or reassurance. An implied snakebite and a disturbing image of the Little Prince dying.Families who watch this film may want to discuss the Little Prince's motivations. Why did he decide to let himself be killed for the flower? What did the Little Prince teach the pilot. Older children may want to read the book.

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Polly M. Robertus

A child from another world enlists the help of pilot to save the lone flower than grows on his planet. The Little Prince does a very effective job of translating Antoine de Saint-Exupery's thoughtful and tender fable to the screen -- but tune out the forgettable Lerner and Loewe tunes.

Older children are more likely to enjoy this parable, which may prove baffling or disturbing to the younger children to whom it would seem targeted, based on the age of the Little Prince. Nostalgia for childhood, after all, is an unlikely theme to appeal to children.

Somewhat slow moving, even without the unmemorable -- though mercifully brief -- musical numbers, the visuals are imaginative and the performances excellent. Steven Warner makes an ideal Little Prince in appearance and actions, although his British accent and slight lisp may be hard for children to understand. Appearances by Bob Fosse as the Snake and Gene Wilder as the Fox especially enliven the movie.

The sad and sweet ending, in which the Pilot, aloft again, hears the Little Prince's laughter in the stars, may not compensate for the upsetting death of the Prince, who submits himself to the sting of the Snake. Although the Prince only dies so that he can be reborn on his own world and take care of his flower, the scene of his death may be very upsetting to young viewers.

Quiet pacing of the story belies its complexity, but this is generally a fine and tender film. It will not appeal to those in the mood for strong action, a straightforward plot, or humor, but those who give it a chance will find its wisdom moving and strangely unforgettable.

See Gene Wilder in one of his more famous roles, as the ultimate candy man in Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory, a musical fantasy adapted from the children's book by Roald Dahl.

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