Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Schonfeld
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Uneven film in girl-targeted franchise has lots of action.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Bella Sara: Emma's Wings
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In BELLA SARA: EMMA'S WINGS, Emma, a young teen (voiced by Mackenzie Porter) misses Sigga, her deceased mom, and longs to know what words Sigga left behind for her in a missing journal. Joined by her cousin Colm and his trusted steed, Soot, and with the aid of a magic necklace, Emma and her beloved horse, Wings, set out on an adventure to the birthplace of her mother, the magical North-of-the-North, a legendary world from which all horses come. Sailing through the skies, the team finds its way to the mysterious, enchanted land and soon discovers that it's in the hands of a dangerous villain. Iveena, and the pack of vicious wolves that obeys and protects her, is trying to steal the magic from the horses and give it to her wolves instead. Forced to face Iveena's powers and her hatred for Sigga, Emma must save the horses and learn the truth about both her mother and herself.
Is It Any Good?
It's obvious that the producers had a strong desire to create an action-packed back story in their first full-length movie. The peace-loving, compassionate nature of the Bella Sara trading card characters and the positive messages for girls which the franchise seeks to promote seem to take a back seat to the producers' mission. The conflict is traditional: a power-hungry villain uses magic and scary creatures to take over the world, in this case the beautiful land of North-of-the-North and its magical horse inhabitants. There are so many elements, relationships, and legends introduced (a magical necklace, a journal -- here called "a ballad," valkyries, dryads, the Palace of Rolandsgaard, and more) that the story is sometimes hard to follow. Still, it's an earnest effort to provide girl-centric entertainment. And, it has a uniquely rough but engaging style of animation that reflects the art that has already been established. It wouldn't be at all surprising if boys like it, too.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how all of the Bella Sara products tie-in to one another. Does watching the movie encourage you to buy the trading cards or games? How do your parents feel about that?
Some of characters in the Bella Sara franchise are "mythic." Look up "mythic," "Valkyrie," "Dryad," and "Meerwolf" (or "Merewolf"). How closely do the Bella Sara characters match the legendary ones?
Bella Sara is described as "girl-friendly." What is there about Bella Sara that might appeal to boys, too? Is it always a good idea to describe something as "for boys" or "for girls?" If your answer is no, why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : April 8, 2014
- Cast : Mackenzie Porter , Dawn Ford , Edward Glen
- Director : Brian Duchscherer
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Entertainment One
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Animals
- Run time : 75 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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
Suggest an Update
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