The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear

Movie review by Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media
The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 6+

Plucky friends rescue missing mayor in charming tale.

NR 2017 79 minutes
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Parents say

age 9+

Based on 13 reviews

Kids say

age 8+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear is a Danish movie showcasing cheerful animation and English voices. Owing to some brief perilous sequences, younger or more sensitive kids may find some developments too intense. The crew must travel through the Pitch Dark Sea, where they encounter ghosts and fireworks. Pirates threaten a passing vessel. Although someone saves the crew in a storm, he then seems to want to imprison them forever on his ship, for company. A missile burns down an island and sends those on it into the sea. Someone nearly drowns. It's set in a sunny sea town filled with helpful inhabitants. The look and feel recall Bob the Builder episodes, but at 79 minutes this has the substance of a feature. Positive messages encouraging ingenuity, determination, and overcoming fears are strong and worthwhile.

Community Reviews

Geekmom41770
Geekmom41770 Adult
December 7, 2020
age 6+

Lovely and Magical

My son loves this movie, which he has seen several times. While there are a few scary moments, they were outweighed by the friendship of the elephant and the cat, the whimsy of them traveling in a pear and the enchanting images. My son can be sensitive to violence/scary villains in films, but he was okay with this. He didn't even notice when the pirate cursed and says overall, "It was the best movie of my life!" (I assume this will change when he sees the next "best movie" of his life), but it is a sweet and original film.
Flourbloom
Flourbloom Adult
August 1, 2020
age 13+

“I’m a pirate Dammit” said the pernicious pirate!

I’m disappointed that Common Sense rates this for 6+. I usually read these reviews before I select a movie but I hastily chose this for my 4 and 6 year bc the cat and elephant looked like cute characters. I should have turned it off when the first red flag for me was when the tank shot out a bullet. Then as we see another missile shot at the giant pear we are introduced to a pirate ship. The pirate onboard gets upset at the scientist & Elephant and responds with the word “dammit”. I’m sure there were more inappropriate words as described from other reviewers but we shut the movie down at that point. This was rated TV-Y on Netflix. I need to do further research on what constitutes this rating but cuss words & realistically drawn ammunition should not be appropriate for a kids cartoon—especially one that appears to be geared towards very young kids.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 13 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF THE GIANT PEAR, Sebastian, a young elephant (voiced by Alfred Bjerre Larsen), lives with his best friend, Mitcho, a little cat (Liva Elvira Magnussen), in the house left him by his seafaring great grandfather. Sebastian is a careful and responsible fellow who might be just a bit reluctant to try new things because of a few fears he harbors. For one thing, he lives in Sunnytown, on the edge of the water, and he can't swim. Mitcho is adventurous, even impetuous, but like many cats, she hates water. After the mayor of their town disappears, they are forced to search for the Mysterious Island that Sebastian's great-grandfather strayed to, in order to save the town from a crazy new mayor. A seed in the ground grows into a pear the size of a house. Professor Glucose (Peter Frodin) uses his scientific genius to turn it into a vessel that can take them to the island. Along the way, they encounter a dip-making ship owner, pernicious pirates, a Pitch Dark patch of sea filled with ghosts, and an island that has not only mysterious but also mechanical properties, all leading to a few scares but a mostly triumphant return to Sunnytown to save the day.

Is It Any Good?

This is a charming adventure that emphasizes the balance between strengths and weaknesses that exists in all of us. The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear owes an obvious debt to Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, but the downright adult meanness Dahl often wrote about is replaced here with respectful and cooperative adults who even defer to children with good ideas. What's especially fun here is how many adults seem to have retained the curiosity, adventurousness, and flexibility of childhood, which paints them in a positive light for kids and also reassures younger viewers that adulthood won't require that they abandon playfulness as they mature.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how difficult it can be to overcome fears. How do you think Sebastian learns to be less fearful in The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear? Do you think it has to do with wanting to help a friend no matter what?

  • Sebastian is told that there's always another way to do things. Can you think of an example of this?

  • This movie is from Denmark. What do you know about that country? How could you learn more?

Movie Details

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