Zog and the Flying Doctors
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Zog and the Flying Doctors
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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 Zog and the Flying Doctors is an animated sequel adapted from Julia Donaldson's kids' book. The film has some positive messages about not giving up on your dreams despite what others tell you. Princess Pearl (voiced by Patsy Ferran) is a strong role model as she shows compassion and integrity in her work as a doctor. She refuses to go along with traditional expectations of how a princess should behave. This comes at a cost to her when her uncle, the king (Rob Brydon), locks her up in a tower. Despite this, Pearl continues to show compassion, even helping her uncle when he falls ill. There is some slapstick action and violence. This mostly involves Pearl's friends Gadabout (Daniel Ings) and the fire-breathing dragon Zog (Hugh Skinner). The pair fall from great heights and Zog is unable to land without crashing. They also become embroiled in a fight with some guards when trying to rescue Pearl from the tower. But there is no serious injury or any real peril. The film can be watched as a standalone piece, although kids will get more from it if they've seen the first film or read the book.
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What's the Story?
In ZOG AND THE FLYING DOCTORS, Princess Pearl (voiced by Patsy Ferran), Gadabout (Daniel Ings), and Zog (Hugh Skinner) spend their days flying around helping those in need. But then Pearl is locked up in a tower by the king (Rob Brydon) for not behaving like a princess. Could this be the end for the trio of flying doctors?
Is It Any Good?
This TV movie is both a sequel and adaptation of one of Julia Donaldson's popular kids' book. Zog and the Flying Doctors picks up from where the first story ended with the accident-prone, fire-breathing, friendly dragon, Zog, flying Princess Pearl and Gadabout around as they help those in need of medical attention. However, whereas Zog was the main character in the first story, this time it's Pearl who is front and center.
Pearl remains a strong female role model, objecting to those around her who say she should behave more like a princess, and determined to help others in her job as a doctor. She remains compassionate throughout, despite the interference and meanness shown by her uncle, the king. Meanwhile Zog and Gadabout provide the slapstick laughs, crashing and bumping into things, usually each other. Yet despite this repositioning of the characters, Zog and the Flying Doctors fails to move the narrative along. Themes from the first story are revisited and while they are admirable and positive, there's nothing here that the first film didn't do, arguably better.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about some of the positive messages in Zog and the Flying Doctors. What examples of teamwork, compassion, and integrity were there? Why are these such important character strengths to have? Can you give any real life examples when you've demonstrated any of these?
Would you describe Pearl as good role model? If so, why? What make a good role model? How did Pearl compare to other portrayals of princesses you've seen? How did she defy what was expected of her? How do stereotypes in movies and on TV impact kids' development?
How did this film compare to the first? What about the book, how did it compare to that? What are your favorite films based on books?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: December 25, 2020
- Cast: Lenny Henry, Patsy Ferran, Hugh Skinner
- Director: Sean Mullen
- Studio: Magic Light Pictures
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Book Characters, Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Integrity, Teamwork
- Run time: 26 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: October 7, 2022
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