Up and Away
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Up and Away
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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 Up and Away is a Danish (dubbed into English) animated adventure -- based on Ole Lund Kirkegaard's 1970 novel, Hodja fra Pjort -- and has toilet humor and mild threat. The story follows Hodja (voiced by Eoin McCormick) a young goatherd who goes on an adventure to the big city after being given a magic carpet. There he meets Emerald (Lucy Carolan) a local thief who justifies her actions by claiming she only "borrows from those who have too much." Set in an Aladdin-style Arabian city, the movie offers the opportunity to observe different architecture and practices. Attentive viewers may even pick up the occasional Arabic phrase used in the movie. However, there are references to prisoners being sentenced to death and even cutting off hands as a punishment, which plays to some cultural stereotyping. The mean sultan -- who also has many wives -- also threatens to feed people to his crocodiles, which may spook younger viewers. Much of the action is slapstick, with characters tripping each other up and animals biting people's bottoms. There is much toilet humor with characters burping and farting for laughs. Characters also fire insults toward each other including "jerk," "idiot," and "country bumpkin." Unused hookah pipes are seen in the background.
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What's the Story?
In UP AND AWAY, young goatherd Hodja's (voiced by Eoin McCormick) dreams of adventure are answered when he borrows a magic carpet and heads to the big city. But once there, Hodja makes an enemy of the sultan (Dermot Magennis) who'll stop at nothing to have the carpet for himself.
Is It Any Good?
This is a sturdy, well put together animated movie that will keep young kids entertained throughout its lean 81-minute runtime. There are few surprises, but it's well paced to hold the interest of even very young viewers. Up and Away is consistently funny -- much of the laughs come from Raja the goat (Peter Zhelder) -- and even when it veers to the ruder side of the line, it's always done with charm, pitched to raise a giggle rather than cause offense. This playful nature keeps everything lighthearted so the characters never get bogged down in the repression of the sultan (a greedy ruler who is essentially a human version of iconic Star Wars despot, Jabba the Hutt). However, the sultan's approach to punishment -- plus the fact he has many wives -- plays a little toward lazy stereotypes.
The movie is always colorful, which helps add flair and distract from the somewhat sub-standard animation. A Danish production, the English voiceover doesn't always match the mouths of the characters. But the spirited performances make up for it. This magic carpet adventure doesn't break any new ground, but regardless takes the viewer to a magical place and offers a brief, enjoyable ride.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the potty humor in Up and Away. Is it funny or too crude? Why do so many movies for kids amp up this kind of humor?
How do the characters in the movie demonstrate perseverance, curiosity, courage, and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?
What does the movie teach us about Arabic culture? Can you give an example of something you learned from the film that you didn't know before? Do you think the movie played up to cultural stereotypes? If so, how? Why is stereotyping problematic?
Talk about the sultan's power. Everyone he rules must do exactly what he says. Is this the same where you live or are there any differences?
Movie Details
- In theaters: February 8, 2018
- On DVD or streaming: November 6, 2018
- Cast: Eoin McCormick, Lucy Carolan, Marcus Lamb
- Director: Karsten Kiilerich
- Studio: Sola Media
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Book Characters
- Character Strengths: Courage, Curiosity, Perseverance, Teamwork
- Run time: 81 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: March 31, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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Aladdin
A magic carpet ride of a movie from Disney.
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Ponyo
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Kiki's Delivery Service
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