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Parents' Guide to

Valiant

By Common Sense Media, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

This animated WWII story may not engage all kids.

Movie G 2005 76 minutes
Valiant Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 1 parent review

rbt1
rbt1 Parent
October 12, 2012
age 5+

My sensitive boy enjoyed this movie

My 5 year old loved this. Some of the humor may have gone over his head but he loved he story of Valient and was not frightened by the evil falcons. He can be sensitive to scary movies but this one he was not frightened and enjoyed the simple story of heroics.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Valiant (voiced by Ewan McGregor) is a brave but small pigeon who dreams of joining the elite Royal Homing Pigeon Service and serving his country during WWII. Despite the odds, he and his pal Bugsy (Ricky Gervais) endure the rigorous training necessary to prepare them for dangerous missions behind enemy lines. But as a brigade of evil German falcons threatens their initial mission, Valiant and the rag-tag group of birds from Squad F must save the day.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (6 ):

Despite the G rating, VALIANT doesn't really seem aimed at kids. Most children won't be familiar with the WWII setting, and many of the comedic references to Normandy, the French Resistance, and war propaganda films will be lost on them. Some parents won't be comfortable with the movie's focus on war and death, either. However, kids will probably enjoy the colorful bird characters and some of the lowbrow humor involving pratfalls and burping -- just know that this movie, which is being advertised as "coming from the producer of Shrek and Shrek 2" doesn't have much in common with either of these lighthearted films.

While kids may like the classic tale of an underdog overcoming the odds, they aren't likely to be too interested in all the WWII details -- their grandparents are more likely to enjoy the clever references than they are. At a recent screening, kids seemed bored throughout much of the movie -- any laughter was generally coming from parents, who enjoyed references like a French mouse named Charles De Girl. The parts of the movie that focused on Bugsy burping or the bumbling characters falling or bumping into each other elicited the most laughs from children. Overall this is a cute and visually appealing film, but not all kids are going to appreciate it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about WWII since the reasons for the war are never explained and the movie assumes some knowledge of the events -- many of the jokes revolve around references to the war. Parents with younger kids can focus on the message that "it's not the size of the wingspan that counts, but the size of the spirit". They could also point out to kids that the film was inspired by the fact that pigeons saved thousands of lives during the war, and that 31 of the 53 top honors given to animal heroes went to pigeons.

Movie Details

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