Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Borget
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dark fantasy has scary scenes, lots of drinking.
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The Time Guardians
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE TIME GUARDIANS, an 8-year-old girl who was orphaned is excited to start a new life with her adoptive family, but it turns out to be short-lived when tragedy strikes. An evil plot hatched by her father's ex-girlfriend sends young Ksyusha (Kseniya Alexeeva) on a dark adventure to save her family. When she finds herself in the Dark City, she meets a magical assistant named Paramon. Together they try to outrun a witch and her army of ghouls to find the lost Time Key and rewind the city's clock. The young hero must learn to trust herself and let go of fear in order to save her new family and her world.
Is It Any Good?
The Time Guardians is a dark fantasy tale with striking visuals but a lackluster story. The beginning is hard to follow as the story flips back and forth between a father sharing his story with his daughter and real life. The English dubbing over Russian doesn't help, since it's tricky to know when he's narrating or actually talking to his daughter. Once you get past that, the movie quickly gets dark, with a jealous ex-girlfriend who not only seduces the young girl's father, but also later turns out to be a witch who chases the girl around the city with a band of monsters.
Fans of dark fantasy films may find this film intriguing. The cinematography and visual effects are quite striking at times, but in the end, the story falls flat. Those who can suspend disbelief and hang on for an hour and a half may enjoy it. And the spooky characters could amuse younger thrill-seeking viewers, but the rest may be wishing they could fast-forward time to get to the end.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether scary characters and events based in fantasy are less frightening than those based in real life. Why?
How did you feel about the story's unexpected ending? Did it surprise you? Do you prefer movies with a more straightforward timeline or one with surprises? Why?
Did you think Paramon was a good role model and guide for Ksyusha? In what way did he show some character strengths? In what ways could he have been a better example?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : February 22, 2022
- Cast : Pavel Trubiner , Ksenia Alekseeva , Marina Kazakova
- Director : Alexey Telnov
- Studio : Shout! Studios
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic , Fairy Tales )
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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