Parent reviews for Zarafa

If your family or classroom wants some non commercial Hollywwood cartoons watch Sarafa. Some scares, out of context, drinking and Paris and Egypt as consumerism.

Beware! Our 6 year old ran screaming out if the room. Within the first 5 minutes you have to explain child slavery and animal cruelty. WAY TOO SCARY for most kids unless you’re used to guns, violence and death. I’m NOT overreacting either, really. I was sad to see that Commonsense approved this!

This review has spoilers! It is the best kids movie for my two kids that we've seen. There are very sad things that happen but they are always cushioned before and after. A cow dies but is reincarnated because it was from Tibet. A major character dies but then turns out is not dead. All the characters are happy and fulfilled at the end. There is a frame story that helps a child process everything by seeing other children feeling sad from the same story but being comforted by wise words from a caring adult. There are 2 to 3 scary parts that involve violence. They are short and get resolved and are not gratuitous. I took a sensitive pair of kids aged 7 and 9. The 7 year old cried at the sad parts but it was empathy for the great characters, the same kind of tears when you read Charlotte's Web (unless you're dead inside). I rarely think that Common Sense has gone too high with the age recommendation (on the contrary), but if my sensitive just turned 7 year old can watch it and like it, then I gotta say 6+. Especially with most of her peers watching Star Wars, etc. This movie has much higher quality, artistry, and care and understanding for the children watching. Highly recommend.

This movie is not for children.

My kids watched this and they thought it was very sad and a little depressing. If I recall the very first image is a mother giraffe getting shot while with it babu.

I'm always looking for quality viewing for our kids, but my toughest media challenge is finding something compelling for everyone for "family movie night." We have an almost 13 year old boy (7th grade), a 9 year old girl (3rd grade), a grown man who has very little free time and gets bored easily, and myself, no easy customer. As I enjoyed every moment of this film last night, I looked around at each family member and saw rapt faces, tears, and laughter. What a pleasure it was to consume this well written, well developed, well animated, and well acted film. The story is touching and heart wrenching, including a myriad of human and animal characters, who range from solemn to quirky. At times it is so preposterous that I laughed out loud. The plot moves along with a calm cadence yet twists and turns keeping the viewer's attention throughout. The themes are heavy: slavery, abandonment, loss, and treachery, but they are balanced with love, tenderness, loyalty, and courage. We can all learn a thing or two from the pure heart and steadfastness of Maki. Our daughter did say "this movie was too sad." But my take is that it wasn't too much for her. It is a portrayal and a perspective not seen by 21st century American kids. It's a voyage into another culture and condition that gets everyone thinking, no matter what the age. We had a great family discussion after the film, initiated by the kids. When I evaluate media for my family, it usually falls into one of three basic categories: enriching and entertaining, entertaining and harmless, and better off without it. This film definitely falls into the first category, which is the one I always feel best about my family consuming. I highly recommend this film for every family. It's one of those that will sink into our bones and be recalled for years to come when life presents us with, well...life.