Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Thoughtful but complicated fantasy has violence, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King
What's the Story?
In BLACK CLOVER: SWORD OF THE WIZARD KING, all of Clover Kingdom is on hand for "The Triumph," a magic battle tournament held every 10 years. However, these festivities, and the kingdom itself, are thrown into turmoil when Conrad (Toshihiko Seki), the former Wizard King of Clover Kingdom, returns after being banished and locked in a portal for the past 10 years. Conrad has three other banished former wizard kings to back him up, and they seek to create a utopian society in which poverty is eliminated and all the citizens are equal, no matter how many they must kill in order to achieve this ideal. As all the groups of Magic Knights try to unite to take on Conrad, a teen boy named Asta (Gakuto Kajiwara), through grit and determination, emerges as a leader in the battle, despite his apparent lack of magic in a world where magic is everything. Asta and the many magicians must find a way to stop the all-powerful Conrad and restore peace, order, and tranquility to the Clover Kingdom.
Is It Any Good?
Somehow, this movie makes sense when all is said and done, despite all the chaos unleashed in the first half-hour. Indeed, Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King throws the proverbial "cast of thousands" at the viewer, with lots of backstory, and it's initially difficult to understand what's happening. Eventually, the movie settles down into a thoughtful story that's basically about good versus evil, but, on a deeper level, also about a former king who wants to destroy Clover Kingdom in order to save it from its shortcomings by leading a "benevolent dictatorship," no matter how many must die in order for that to happen.
It's a heady message, and it strikes an effective balance with all the intricate battle scenes, in which all the many characters have different magical abilities and use them to maximum animated effect. It's a very disorienting movie at first between the introduction to so many characters (and their spells) and the world-building introductions to the history and people of Clover Kingdom, but, somehow, it all makes sense, and it even works as an exciting and thoughtful story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about fantasy movies like Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King. How is this similar to and different from other movies in this genre you've seen?
Was this story easy or difficult to understand? Why?
How does Asta embody character strengths like perseverance and teamwork?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : June 16, 2023
- Cast : Gakuto Kajiwara , Toshihiko Seki , Toshiyuki Morikawa
- Director : Ayataka Tanemura
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Fantasy
- Run time : 110 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : July 6, 2023
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