Parents' Guide to

A Witches' Ball

By Jenny Nixon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Family-friendly tale of newly inducted witch is so-so.

Movie PG 2018 90 minutes
A Witches' Ball Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Farmerk
Farmerk Adult
June 28, 2019
age 6+

It's okay if your kids enjoy magic

If your children like watching magic related movies then it will be ok. It's quite a boring and slow watch for adults. My children found it funny at several points within the film. They particularly found the talking animals funny. Although it says no sex present there was a kiss between the parents of the lead child.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Zelda333
Zelda333 Adult
January 31, 2019
age 5+

So anti climax !!!!!!!

WHAT TYPE OF WITCH IS SHE???? i was waiting the WHOOOLE movie ! Some animals can talk and some are used as a telephone and I think that's basically animal abuse ??? using animals like that is NOT cool.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

A WITCHES' BALL is the tale of Beatrix, a sweet-natured young witch-in-training who has just been named valedictorian at her magic school, despite coming from a half-magical family (her mom is a human, though she's studying to "convert"). Due to some meddling from a jealous "purebred" classmate, her status is put in jeopardy, and she must solve three magical riddles before the night of the annual Witches' Ball: an event that doubles as her school's culmination ceremony, where she is set to make her transition into a full-fledged witch. With the help of her family and her talking pet rat, Muggs (voiced, inexplicably, by Joey Fatone), she tries to set things right before it's too late.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This is a well-meaning and whimsical film that makes a fine choice for younger viewers who may find the Harry Potter films too intense or scary. That said, the production values are pretty low -- the CGI isn't amazing, and a lot of the costumes and sets look like the stuff that goes on sale the day after Halloween. Newcomer actress Morgan Neundorf has a sweet screen presence, but others are a bit stiff. Viewers would do well not to think too hard about certain plot points, like the way Beatrix's classmates are completely dazzled by a student who performs a spell that makes animals talk, when Beatrix herself carries around a fully verbal pet rat nobody blinks an eye at. Older kids may find A Witches' Ball too predictable, but younger kids are likely to enjoy the sparkle and spectacle -- and the overall themes of self-reliance and honesty are commendable.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the decisions Beatrix makes in A Witches' Ball about using "dark magic" when trying to solve the three riddles that will help her cement her status as class valedictorian. Did the choices she made make things easier or harder on her? Do you agree with her decision? How did the path she took show perseverance? Why is it an important character strength?

  • The world Beatrix and her family live in seems very similar to the world of Harry Potter. In what ways are the stories alike? How do Beatrix and Harry compare as characters? Do you think they would get along?

  • Beatrix's classmate Jasmine is mean to her on several occasions. What do you think is driving the way Jasmine behaves? Is she really a bad person, or just a victim of circumstance?

Movie Details

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