Vic the Viking and the Magic Sword
By Tom Cassidy,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Animated Norse adventure has cartoon violence, stereotypes.
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Vic the Viking and the Magic Sword
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What's the Story?
In VIC THE VIKING AND THE MAGIC SWORD, a young Viking's mom is turned to gold. With four days to travel to Asgard to find the Norse gods and turn her back, Vic (voiced by Declan Miele-Howell) stows away on the ship with the rescue party and a mysterious stranger in the hope of saving his mom, Ylvi (Violet Tucker Steel).
Is It Any Good?
This handsomely animated Viking adventure is a fun movie for young kids with gentle humor, a charming squirrel character to add some cuteness, and an easy introduction to the idea of plot twists. Vic the Viking and the Magic Sword also has some serious scale to some of its scenes. Particularly one which sees the Viking crew negotiating three giant waves on their way to find Asgard. On the surface, it's got a good heart. It delivers a well-meaning message of a father coming to love and respect his son who isn't what he expected -- the burly dad Halvar thinks Vic is just too small to be a decent Viking. So when Vic wows him by saving the day a few times with his quick wits, Halvar comes around to accepting his son.
While potentially heartwarming, scratching below the surface it suggests that if Vic wasn't a heroic genius, he'd still be unworthy or at least unnoticed. Paired with the fact that the three female characters are in the background and resemble negative stereotypes, a lack of consideration for its messaging and representation starts to come through. That said, there's nothing overtly negative, it's just not as thoughtful as it first appears. But for a fun adventure with a touch of magical mythology, Vic the Viking and the Magic Sword is a fun trip on the Nordic Seas.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Vic fits in with the Viking culture in Vic the Viking and the Magic Sword. Were his values the same as the adult Vikings? How did his style of solving problems differ from the traditional Viking way? Was it more or less effective than the other?
Talk about cartoon violence. How was it different from real life? Why is it OK to let my kid see some types of movie violence but not others?
Discuss the female characters in the movie. Did you think they were realistic characters? Why might they be described as stereotypes? Why are stereotypes problematic?
Have you learned anything about Vikings or seen any other movies with Vikings in? What do you know about them? Do you think they are a fun subject?
Have you seen the TV series of Vic the Viking? How did the movie compare? What other movies have you seen that began as TV shows?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: July 5, 2020
- Cast: Declan Miele-Howell, David Schaal, Owen Frost
- Director: Éric Cazes
- Studio: Kaleidoscope Entertainment
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Book Characters
- Run time: 77 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: October 8, 2022
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