Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Schonfeld
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dark, animated anti-fascist allegory with lots of violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Wolfy: The Incredible Secret
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Wolfy (Rafael Marin), a soft-spoken, caring young wolf, lives happily in a peaceful forest, inseparable from his best friend, rabbit Tom (Christian Vandepas), and surrounded by other delightful woodland creatures in WOLFY: THE INCREDIBLE SECRET. When a mysterious woman insists on telling Wolfy's fortune, the trusting little guy learns that his long-lost mother is alive and in desperate need of his help in Wolfenberg, a mountain town dominated by a powerful faction of wolves. Against Tom's better judgment, Wolfy decides to find and rescue the woman he never knew. Wolfenberg proves to be much more dangerous than Wolfy could ever have imagined. An evil ruler with his packs of savage wolves, a staggering number of long-fanged carnivores celebrating the destruction of the vulnerable "no-fang" population, and a ragtag resistance army preparing to battle for the soul of the city all present Wolfy and Tom with the biggest challenge of their lives. Is Wolfy's mother really alive? Can the beautiful vixen Scarlett be trusted? Will "no-fang" Tom escape from a series of devastating attacks? And finally, what is the "incredible secret" that reveals the truth about Wolfy's identity?
Is It Any Good?
It isn't clear who the target U.S. audience is for this film. A 2014 Cesar Award (the French Oscars) for Best Animation, it's a strange combination of fine, original hand-drawn art, a few likable characters to root for, lethal villains, and very dire circumstances in which the society in play is very reminiscent of mid-20th-century European fascism. The exaggerated bad guys in American cartoons for kids, which include the mad scientist, the greedy tycoon, the mustache-twirling seeker of power, and the cackling witch, give way here to interspecies prejudices, a quest for domination, and real blood lust. There are no fanciful, farcical pratfalls, careening high-speed chases, lightning bolts, or whooshing explosions. Instead, the snarling big cats stalking a mystical doe, the predatory gangs of weasels surrounding the heroes, the sharp missile fired and hitting Tom's heart, and many other action sequences feel more real and menacing than the action with which our kids are familiar. And, finally, some muddled plotting and bizarre plot twists, including a final reveal that comes from way out in left field, make it a questionable choice even for older kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence and action in this French film. How does it differ from most cartoons made for U.S. audiences? Do the villains seem more or less realistic?
Find out the meaning of the word "anthropomorphic." Why do you think artists, writers, filmmakers, and other creative people use human-like animals/creatures to tell a story or to present an idea? Write a short anthropomorphic story using an animal to express one of your own points of view.
An allegory is often a story that stands in for a political or historical situation. Which events and/or actual people from the 20th century does this movie bring to mind? Give some examples.
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 16, 2015
- Cast : Rafael Marin , Christian Vandepas , Yamile Vasquez
- Director : Eric Omond
- Studio : Prima Linea Productions
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Run time : 80 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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