 | 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. |
Tales of Beatrix Potter
- Review Date: August 26, 2011
- G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 1971
Common Sense Media says
While lovely, ballet version is hard for kids to follow.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a mostly wordless ballet interpretation of many of Beatrix Potter's books. Kids should read up on the Complete Tales or they will have trouble figuring out what's going on. Pigs run from a butcher's truck, a fox tries to lure a duck for dinner, and Squirrel Nutkin loses his tail (offscreen), then dances around with it and lets other animals toss it around.
What's the story?
In a large country home in England's picturesque Lake District, a young girl named Beatrix Potter dreams up animals that come to life and dance through the countryside telling their stories. Viewers will meet characters Mrs. Tiggiewinkle, Jemima Puddleduck, Squirrel Nutkin, Peter Rabbit, and many others. One story dances into another until all the beloved characters scurry together in a triumphant finale.
Is it any good?
The Royal Ballet dancers combine grace with the whimsy of animal characters quite well and manage not to trip over their very long or very bushy tails. A huge effort was made with the costumes -- especially the animal masks -- and it must be incredibly difficult to dance in them. The Lake District setting is lush and beautiful, too, giving viewers a sense of where the author's inspiration came from.
What's missing is some sort of narration to help the youngest viewers, and even older viewers who haven't revisited the books in a while (ahem). Also, young Beatrix Potter appears occasionally, but not enough to tell more of her compelling personal story. It's a missed opportunity to make the lovely dancing and scenery a true homage to the beloved classic books.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about this interpretation of the classic children's books. Could you follow along? Were the animal characters how you imagined them? How important are words to tell these stories?
Can viewers think of other stories told convincingly without words? And how did the dancers convey the animals' emotions in masks? Did you know how they were feeling?
Which is your favorite Beatrix Potter story? Why?
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Kid, 12 years old
March 29, 2012
AGE
Great for ballet fans!
This is so cool! Most people will only be interested if they are dancers, particualry ballet dancers. I own this video, and I love it!!! It's good for any age, but only kids will probably appreciate it more than younger ones.
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| Topics: | book characters, horses and farm animals, wild animals |
| Studio: | Lionsgate |
| Director: | Reginald Mills |
| Cast: | Alexander Grant, Frederick Ashton, Julie Wood |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 90 minutes |
| DVD release date: | June 30, 1971 |
| MPAA rating: | G |
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