 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Belle's Tales of Friendship
- Review Date: April 17, 2005
- NR
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 1999
Common Sense Media says
Stories and songs of cooperation.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a cheerful, if somewhat preachy, group of songs and stories. The songs will appeal to young children, but some kids may be disappointed to find this isn't a typical Disney animated feature, but a puppet show that incorporates old cartoons. And younger children may be disturbed by the Grimm Fairy Tale "Hansel and Gretel", in which Hansel gets transformed into a spider and Gretel gets thrown into an underground cell. Parents may want to remind their children that it's a cartoon and no one is really getting hurt. The Wolf in the "Three Little Pigs" also looks rather vicious. In one cartoon, Mrs. Potts suffers a poignant depression.
What's the story?
This straight-to-video release follows a TV format, with Belle and her puppet friends narrating a series of previously released cartoons. In the live action portion of this release, Belle is the owner of a lavish bookshop. Her love of reading is shared by a group of lively puppets, including two bookworms, a large ginger cat, and a red book with a mustache. A gaggle of precocious children visit Belle's shop and beg for stories. Belle is only too happy to oblige with tales about cooperation and teamwork. The first three animated tales, including one featuring the Beauty and the Beastcast, show characters working together to achieve a common goal. The last two demonstrate that pitching in and doing chores means everyone gets to have fun sooner. In the final scene, set during Belle's chili party, she proves that there's no such thing as a free lunch (or bowl of chili, as it were).
Is it any good?
It's never too soon to teach kids how to be good team players, and this release attempts to do just that through story and song. A few of the children that congregate in Belle's shop take turns being selfish and lazy, giving our heroine ample opportunity to illustrate the downside of those tendencies. Belle's instructions stay fairly entertaining with the help of some catchy tunes and cartoons straight out of Disney's vault.
Younger or more sensitive kids might be scared by some parts of the "Hansel and Gretel" and "Three Little Pigs" cartoons, and the "Beauty and the Beast" cartoon segment deals with Mrs. Potts' depression, but overall, this is a cheerful production (although parents may find the puppets irritating).
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the importance of pitching in to help, and what it means to be part of a team.
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AGE
Cute Movie
This is a cute movie to see with your family my daughter likes thsi stuff the sing along books. she loves to sing.
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| Topics: | princesses and fairies, friendship |
| Studio: | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Director: | Jimbo Marshall |
| Cast: | Hampton Dixon, Kirsten Storms, Lynsey McLeod |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 70 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 17, 1999 |
| DVD release date: | August 17, 1999 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
| MPAA explanation: | not rated |
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