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Parents' Guide to

The Phoenix and the Magic Carpet

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Dated retelling of Phoenix myth has insults, bad acting.

Movie PG 1995 88 minutes
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THE PHOENIX AND THE MAGIC CARPET is a dated '90s movie with bad child acting and cheesy special effects. Despite Peter Ustinov's best efforts at bringing gravitas to the role of the phoenix, his efforts are marred by a phoenix that looks less like a majestic mythological creature and more like a store-bought Cornish game hen with a chicken puppet head stuck on top. It's unintentionally hilarious, but it does cheapen the overall attempt to present a contemporary retelling of the classic myth.

The story itself is not bad, but the overall presentation prevents this from being better than it should have been. Aside from Ustinov, the acting is overdone and stale -- the three kids act precocious and over-annunciate stale putdowns. For families interested in mythology, this isn't the best place to start.

Movie Details

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