Parents' Guide to

A Town Called Panic

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Stop-motion comedy adventure with subtitles, a few curses.

Movie NR 2009 75 minutes
A Town Called Panic Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 8+

Based on 4 parent reviews

TAPQ
TAPQ Adult
June 30, 2020
age 7+

Totally Great

As it does doesn't really have a plot, it's still like...really good. It is in french, so if you don't speak french it might be slightly annoying (that it's in a different language) but there are subtitles and also, (in my experience) there's not really anything to understand about the movie, so it's basically just like watching it in the same language (that you speak) because there isn't enough of a plot to need dialogue in the first place. With that being said...it's great! (as a confirmation that I didn't ACCIDENTLY give it 5 stars).

This title has:

Great role models
Too much swearing
starsinmyeyes
starsinmyeyes Parent of 7 and 9-year-old
June 23, 2013
age 8+

A great family night pick!

Overall, this was a funny and unusual film. It was a great first subtitled film for my kids who are 7 and 9. There are a few scenes worth mentioning - Cowboy panics and starts shooting his rifle wildly into the night (but it's funny and no one gets hurt), at a party lots of beer is served and one of the characters gets drunk and a bit belligerent (but he's a rowdy character anyway, so it fits his part) and finally, in one scene where the main characters get tricked, the tricksters laugh at them out the window and call them "dumb asses". There are other minor swear words: b*st*rds, d*mn, and h*ll. (CSM won't allow the whole word.) Still, if the younger audience is watching with adults, there isn't anything that can't be managed with a little bit of the old PG. A great family night pick!

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Three best friends -- Cowboy, Indian, and Horse -- share a home in an idyllic country village. On Horse's birthday, Cowboy and Indian want to surprise him with a barbeque, but their online order for bricks goes awry -- 50 million are delivered instead of 50. The bricks cause havoc and mayhem, and propel the three friends into a series of unconventional adventures filled with romance, danger, and some of the funniest creatures ever invented. They visit the core of the earth, the bottom of the ocean, and all points in between. A TOWN CALLED PANIC is a Belgian production based on a TV series, in French, with easy-to-read English subtitles.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (4 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Quirky, creative, and very funny, this movie can be appreciated on multiple levels. Kids will laugh at the predicaments, the relationships, and the eccentrically original characters. For those who can read, it's a great introduction to subtitled movies. For adults it's a hilarious version of French language films that is both respectful and finds joy in self-parody (the spot-on rhythms of the characters' speech is priceless).

Some may find it absurd and shake their heads in disbelief, but given the onslaught of sophisticated 3-D, motion-capture, and computer-animated films in the marketplace, this film's dependence upon imagination, simplicity, and low-tech animation is a treat. A Town Called Panic is a little too long -- the pace is occasionally wearying and there may actually be too many adventures -- but the story is episodic so it could be viewed in parts.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the experience of watching this movie with subtitles. Did reading them make it harder for you to enjoy the movie? Did you get used to the process?

  • Seeing this movie makes us realize that the same things make us laugh, no matter what country we live in. What conclusions can you draw from this simple story about how Americans and people from other cultures are the same or different?

  • Part of the movie's humor comes from combining realistic elements with fantastical elements. What seemed "real" and what was "fantasy"?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate