 | 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. |
Elephant Tales
- Review Date: December 16, 2008
- G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2008
Common Sense Media says
Brothers lose mom to poachers in weak live-action tale.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that in this live-action animal adventure Tutu and Zef lose their mother to poachers. The event is described by Zef to his brother Tutu as a rainbow taking their mom to the sky -- a metaphor that may confuse young kids.
What's the story?
Tutu (voiced by Emily Hunt) and Zef (Jono Wood) are elephant brothers who frolic in the wild of the African savannah. Then one night, Tutu watches a truck approach, sees explosions, and hears a thunderous noise -- poachers. The next day Zef tells Tutu that his mom was taken by a rainbow and they have to leave the pack. Tutu decides he must try to find the rainbow, the brothers have an argument, and split up. Meeting new friends that have also lost their mothers, the animals devise a plan to get even with the poachers.
Is it any good?
Though the idea of watching real animals in their natural habitat is appealing to the youngest viewers, the theme of loss is glossed over and tossed about in a confusing way. Zef lies to his brother about their mother's death and the two elephants sometimes seem to forget their mother when they go on adventures (and we all know that elephants never forget!).
The voice acting is pretty substandard and the script itself lacks cohesiveness and substance. Calling poachers "badness," is one example of a weak choice. Calling their camp "the badness place," a fence "stupid old badness thing" is just silly. ELEPHANT TALES would have made a good documentary had a narrator simply recounted the daily lives of these fascinating creatures. Instead the viewer is distracted by a lame story told by weak voice actors.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about being lost and losing family. Being lost can be very scary -- but is it an adventure? Why do you think Zef doesn't tell Tutu what really happened to their mother? Should he have told him the truth?
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| Topics: | adventures, wild animals |
| Studio: | MGM/UA |
| Director: | Mario Andreacchio |
| Cast: | Emily Hunt, Jono Wood, Patrick Floershein |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 96 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | December 9, 2008 |
| DVD release date: | December 9, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | G |
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