Ape Star

Parents need to know that Ape Star is a gently-paced, low-key animated fantasy from Sweden about an unlikely adoption. There's no real content of concern for preschoolers, but the subplot about the villain, his motives, and actions may be hard for them to understand. There's some brief sadness from kids in an orphanage, especially one who doesn't remember her mother, and some sadness and suspense from separation, but grief and loss aren't prominent themes and everything ends safely. There's a brief and mild scuffle between adults that shows hitting, shoving, and pinning to the ground, and a man gets hit in the back with a picket sign. In one scene adults drink what could be beer but whatever it is, it's not mentioned specifically. In a restaurant, all adult diners have wine glasses on their tables. The main character models courage, empathy, and perseverance and Gorilla is a great model of compassion and teamwork. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.