• Is it age appropriate?

  About our ratings

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  Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 6; suggested age 7.

• Is it any good?

  4.0

• Common Sense says

  Delightful Disney charmer may be too long for youngest.

Why We Rated This for Ages 7 and Up

The good stuff

• Educational value:

  Older kids might learn a bit about World War II and the Blitz.
• Messages:

  The main character works hard to make a difference in the war effort. Along the way, she cooperates with others, and comes to understand the value of family and the wisdom of children. But these messages are clouded with subtle, but outdated ideas about women's abilities and an attitude toward war that might seem unfamiliar to modern kids.
• Role models:

  The main adult character, while quirky, is strong, confident, and determined to make a positive difference. She's kind and respectful to the children and encourages the kids to be helpful. The secondary adult character is a bit of a swindler, but he's thoroughly reformed by the end. The older boy starts out very sassy, and even tries to blackmail the main character. But, he too, is reformed in the end.

What to watch out for

• Violence & scariness:

  The children have been orphaned by the war and Miss Price, the witch, is searching for a magic spell to fight off the Nazis. Several scenes of cartoon violence during a wildly physical soccer match, as well as one real-life scene where the group is threatened with a knife. The final battle scene, where a ghost-like army of knights fights machine-gun wielding Nazis, might be very scary for some kids.
• Sexy stuff:

  Some very mild flirtation between Miss Price and Professor Browne, including the suggestion that they will marry. In the animated portion, male and female fish dance cheek-to-cheek.
• Language:

  The older boy tells his siblings to "shut up."
• Consumerism:

  Not an issue.
• Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

  A cartoon fish smokes a cigar. A main character talks to a child about wanting to go to the pub for a drink.

What Parents Need to Know

About Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Families Can Talk About