Truly wonderful and heartwarming film >

The Magician’s Elephant is an animated film about a boy named Peter who is told that to find his long-lost sister, he must follow a magical elephant. The film is streaming on Netflix.

Story

Peter is an orphan who was told that his younger sister died at birth along with his mother and father during the war. However, when a fortune teller tells him that she’s still alive and he must follow a magical elephant to find her, he is filled with renewed optimism.

He lives in the city of Baltese, a place that was once a magical haven but lost its magic and belief a long time ago. When a magician conjures an elephant out of nothing, Peter gets the sign he was looking for and proceeds to free the elephant.

To do that, he is tasked with completing three impossible tasks by the King of the land. Peter proceeds to do the impossible and teach everyone that with enough perseverance and belief, anything is possible.

Positives

The animation is very crisp and appealing. The vibrant colors, the various cultures that influenced the city design, and the attention to detail on every character are quite impressive feats.

The narrative is simple and inspiring. The message put across is very clear and there are no overcomplicated subplots to dwell over.

Bringing a story from the pages of the book to a screen is always a tough task but Wendy Rogers accomplishes that brilliantly on this occasion. The tone of the film, the comfortable pace, and the efforts of the entire cast and crew are commendable.

Negatives

The magic of the city of Baltese is a concept that could have benefited from a more concentrated focus. The reasons for its disappearance and the true nature of the magic are left to the imagination of the viewer which isn’t always a great thing.

Verdict

The Magician’s Elephant is an uplifting film filled with good performances and an admirable and moving narrative. It’s a great movie to sit down and watch with the kids and guarantees a mood boost for anyone that requires it.