Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fairy tale adventure has threat, innuendo, toilet humor.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
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Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps
What's the Story?
In MAN AND WITCH: THE DANCE OF A THOUSAND STEPS, a goatherd (Greg Steinbruner) goes to a witch (Tami Stronach) hoping to break a curse that stops him from taking a wife. She challenges him to a series of impossible tasks, but his hard work and determination help him to take them on. As he begins to impress her, can he change his future, and she can break free of her own cruel curse, or are they destined to be lonely forever?
Is It Any Good?
Steinbruner writes and takes the lead role opposite his real-life wife Stronach (the Childlike Empress in The NeverEnding Story) in this slightly lackluster fairy tale parody. Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps suffers from a loose script and performative box ticking and it's a shame, because the supporting cast includes British comedy greats Eddie Izzard, Jennifer Saunders, and Bill Bailey as talking animals, and even Christopher Lloyd makes an appearance as an alchemist. Moments feel reminiscent of The Princess Bride, and the "ogre problem" encountered by the fairy tale kingdom wanders into Shrek territory, yet its monsters are significantly less charming, even as they emit similar noxious gasses for the delight of the pre-teens. It feels longer than its 94-minute runtime and lazy choices (wait for the final song) mean it never quite lives up to its potential to offer something more than an OK but forgettable family adventure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps attempted to challenge some fairy tale tropes. What did it say about the presumptions in fairy tale worlds, particularly around gender and sexism? Did you think it succeeded?
What did the movie say about curses, fate, and individual choice and autonomy? How was the behavior of goatherd and witch affected by the curses put upon them? How did they work to overcome the restricted paths set out for them? What character strengths did you think they used to do so?
Did you find any of the scenes or characters scary? If so, which ones? What was scary about them?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 28, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : September 10, 2024
- Cast : Greg Steinbruner , Tami Stronach , Martha West , Christopher Lloyd
- Director : Michael Hines
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Fathom Events
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic , Fairy Tales ) , Adventures
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some violence, rude and suggestive humor, and mild language
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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