Common Sense Media Review
By Tom Cassidy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fantasy action animation has violence, scary monsters.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Heroes of the Golden Mask
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In HEROES OF THE GOLDEN MASK, homeless orphan Charlie (voiced by Kiefer O'Reilly) joins a mythical gang of superheroes to defend the world against their enemy, Kunyi (Ron Perlman).
Is It Any Good?
Director Sean Patrick O'Reilly has made lots of spooky movies for kids, so it's no surprise that this is a creature feature packed with monsters. But what might be a surprise is just how scary some of Heroes of the Golden Mask's look. These monsters are at the upper edge of comfort for this movie's intended age range. The story of snarky Charlie finding a family and his place in the world works well, especially considering what poor company this rude lead character is. Charlie's charmless cockiness is never clever or funny. But thankfully the likes of the hug-loving Aesop (Patton Oswalt) and motherly Helen (Jayne Eastwood) brighten the tone. Other characters suffer from the movie's erratic tone shifts. Zhu (Osric Chau) preaches peaceful living and minutes later causes chaos when he jumps over a table at dinner to punch out a fellow hero over a minor disagreement. These surprisingly violent confrontations feel hard hitting, while the big magical battle set pieces drift by without impact.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Heroes of the Golden Mask. Did you think it was too much for a film like this? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Did you find the movie scary? Which bits did you find most intense? How to choose a scary movie for your kid.
Which characters demonstrated teamwork, perseverance, and gratitude? Why are these such important character strengths to have?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : June 9, 2023
- Cast : Kiefer O'Reilly , Ron Perlman , Christopher Plummer
- Director : Sean Patrick O'Reilly
- Studio : Gravitas Ventures
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Superheroes
- Run time : 82 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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