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Parents' Guide to

Faeries

By Peter Lewis, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 2+

Light humor and suspense make up for a thin plot.

Movie G 1999 75 minutes
Faeries Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 2 parent reviews

AudreyHeburn1960
AudreyHeburn1960 Adult
November 23, 2017
age 5+

Flashback to my childhood

I loved this movie as a child. I was a big fan of fairy tales, and this one fit right in. I found the plot easy to follow along and fun. Now I think, it was not just fun, but doesn’t feel like it’s talkimg down to kids. Their are some scary parts with real bugs put into the CG, which are definitely a bit scary and could make some little ones jump a bit. Overall though, it’s not to bad and kids probably around 5 and older woud be fine. As an adult, I still love this film. The positivity is refreshing, and I still find the plot absolutely delightful. Definitely recommend!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
cab777
cab777 Adult
September 21, 2013
age 6+

Absolutely NOT FOR TODDLERS

I picked this show from my OnDemand selection after checking with this site that it would be appropriate for my 3 yr old twins. It's absolutely NOT appropriate for this age. The faces are quite scary and there's kidnapping, baby-threatening, scary music and so on. Kids this age don't have the necessary perspective for this. It's poorly written and animated so the site's reviewer called it inoffensive but they didn't consider it from a toddler's developmental point-of-view. I was wavering for a while (and shouldn't have), but finally turned it off when the villain scooped up a baby and threatened to harm it unless the heroes fulfilled some prophecy for him. My twins are still exclaiming "we don't like those bad guys" twenty minutes after I turned it off and they turned to another activity. Which is why I'm prompted to actually write something on this site. I'm not one of those over-protective moms, but even I was pretty surprised at how absolutely NOT for toddlers this movie is. At all.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

While visiting a farm in England, teenagers Nellie and George -- she a discontented teenager and he an enthusiastic younger boy -- make the acquaintance of a fairy oak in the wild wood, and are ushered into the intrigues of fairyland. There, a rivalry between the Prince and his shape-shifting brother is afoot. At first, the children become the unwitting accomplices of the evil brother, but soon they wise up to his dastardly ways, thanks to some insider information from a hobgoblin and a company of sprites. With the help of the children, the fairy Prince regains his immortality, defeats his brother (though the last we hear of him, he's plotting his escape from the ice dungeon, setting the stage for Faeries II), and marries his sweetheart, a human he has transformed into a fairy princess.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The plot of FAERIES is anything but original: bumbling but triumphant humans in fairyland, the rivalry between good and wicked brothers for the throne, the destiny that is true love. But it's a proven product, and many characters in this fairy tale are appealingly sharp and droll. Kids pay attention, even though the Prince himself is a disagreeable combination of braveheart and milquetoast.

The production's biggest drawback is the startlingly realistic scenery upon which animated characters float. It looks and feels fake, like a bad diorama. Fairy tales should transport, but this technique just confuses things. When the landscapes are animated, however, they're often eye-catching; spectacular flaring colors of fairyland, and the green rolling fields of the English countryside. Here, and with the bright company of fairies, the animators get to impressively stretch their legs.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the differences and similarities between this and other fairy tales they've read. Where do you think the film makers got some of their ideas?

Movie Details

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