The Little Prince (Mark Osborne, 2015): France

Reviewed by Ashley Gatimu. Viewed at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara.

Premiering at the Cannes film festival last year, “The Little Prince” is an animated/fantasy film adapted by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s book of the same name. Directed by Mark Osborne, (he also directed the movie Kung Fu Panda), and this voice over cast includes some of the greatest actors like Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, and Jeff Bridges. Producers include Aton Soumache and Dimitri Rassam. This film uses stop motion animation to catch your eye and with a budget of over $81 million and over 7 years in the making, you could say it took a lot of hard work and energy to put this masterpiece of a film all together.

The Little Prince is about a little girl (voice of Mackenzie Foy) who lives in a very grown up world with her single mother (voice of Rachel McAdams) who does everything in her will to make sure her daughter will have the best life. Part of getting the little girl ready to enter a prestigious academy to start the beginning of that successful life, her mother moves them to a very mundane neighborhood for a new beginning. Everyone appears to look the same and lead the same boring life, except for one- their neighbor the Aviator (voice of Jeff Bridges). His rather intrusive welcoming makes the little girl question her new neighbor, but seems really intrigued about his life at the same time. The aviator, who at a very old age, seems to have more fun in him than most people do. The two form a bond and upon getting to know each other, the aviator shares the magical story of the Little Prince with her, which leads the two on a series of adventures together. Along the way the little girl learns more about her young self and starts to see the world in a different way. This story inside a story may look like your usual little kid movie, but it surely isn’t.

I think this film is great for people of all ages, races, and cultures. So pretty much anyone with any background. It’s vivid stop motion graphics and engaging scenes keep you hooked until the very end and has hidden messages throughout. One of the central meaning’s of this film is to remember that sense of wonder and spirit we all carried as a kid. Which is important to have, especially in the busy and sometimes scary world of adults! The Little Prince show’s a realistic point of view of life from a little girl caught under the pressures of trying to be her very best for herself and her mother, in a world where everyone seems the same. Each character has their own unique set of looks and traits that make them fun and entertaining. If you’re looking for a silly animated film with a deep universal meaning, or if you’re a fan of any Disney movie ever, this film is probably a good match for you.