Parents' Guide to

The Blue Elephant

By Tracy Moore, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Uplifting tale of courageous elephant is heavy on peril.

Movie PG 2011 79 minutes
The Blue Elephant Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 9+

Based on 1 parent review

age 9+

War story

The description on the cover for this video was very misleading, calling it a 'fun family adventure', while the main line of the story is about war and revenge. My seven year old enjoyed the battles, but my four year old was scared and very sad when they showed the deaths of some of the elephants. Additionally, the video quality is not that great with the characters looking wooden and jerky.

This title has:

Too much violence

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

THE BLUE ELEPHANT is a tricky one; it's part heartwarming coming-of-age tale of mother-son love, part head-scratcher of an oversimplification about the necessity of war. Though it offers some solid, admirable lessons about the importance of trusting people, not judging a book by its cover, and the greatness that may come from unlikely people, it does so through a tale that states multiple times that war is not good, but inevitable.

Kids will enjoy the story of this scrappy elephant who earns the respect of his peers, family, and elders with his great heart, kindness, and the courage of his father. Parents will appreciate the uplifting message. But your take on this as one for family movie night will depend on whether you see war as a terrible, preventable tragedy or a necessary sacrifice on the altar of humanity.

Movie Details

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