The Wind in the Willows
The Wind in the Willows
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Watch-outs
What this film brings
Content barometer
Violence
2/5
Moderate
Fear
2/5
A few scenes
Sexuality
0/5
None
Language
1/5
Mild
Narrative complexity
1/5
Accessible
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
This live action version of The Wind in the Willows is a whimsical family adventure with anthropomorphic animals, broad physical comedy, and a lively pace. The main sensitive elements involve chases, comic crashes, arrests, threatening weasels, and a plot in which the heroes are put in serious looking danger at a factory, although the presentation stays highly stylized and not realistic. The overall intensity is moderate, with no graphic injury and no sexual content, but several scenes may unsettle younger viewers because of shouting, kidnapping, imprisonment, and a sense of repeated peril around Toad Hall and the dog food factory. For most children, it is likely to work best from about age 7, with an adult present if the child is easily worried by villainous characters or captivity scenes. Parents may want to reassure children in advance that the villains are theatrical and that the crashes and chase scenes are played more for comedy than realism.
Synopsis
Jailed for his reckless driving, rambunctious Mr. Toad has to escape from prison when his beloved Toad Hall comes under threat from the wily weasels, who plan to build a dog food factory on the very meadow sold to them by Toad himself.
Difficult scenes
Early in the film, Mole's underground home is destroyed when the land above it is torn up by a machine driven by weasels. This may startle younger children because it combines the loss of a home, loud activity, and the immediate presence of hostile villains, even though the scene is presented in a fanciful style. The sequences built around Toad's obsession with motor cars include reckless driving, road mishaps, and several comic crashes. These scenes are played for humor, but their repetition may unsettle children who are sensitive to collisions, shouting, or noisy chaos. The trial and imprisonment section may feel troubling for younger viewers because Toad is judged unfairly, given a very harsh sentence, and locked in a dungeon. There is no graphic violence, but the idea of a long punishment and the prison atmosphere create more tension than a very gentle comedy would. Later in the story, the weasels become a more concrete threat when they capture characters and place them above machinery in a dog food factory. The presentation remains family friendly and does not show shocking detail, but the idea that the heroes could be turned into dog food is dark enough that younger or very imaginative children may need reassurance.
Where to watch
No verified platform for the US market yet. We keep this section updated as availability changes.
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 1996
- Runtime
- 1h 27m
- Countries
- United Kingdom
- Original language
- EN
- Directed by
- Terry Jones
- Main cast
- Terry Jones, Steve Coogan, Eric Idle, Nicol Williamson, Antony Sher, John Cleese, Stephen Fry, Bernard Hill, Michael Palin, Julia Sawalha
- Studios
- Allied Filmmakers, John Goldstone Productions
Content barometer
Violence
2/5
Moderate
Fear
2/5
A few scenes
Sexuality
0/5
None
Language
1/5
Mild
Narrative complexity
1/5
Accessible
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
This live action version of The Wind in the Willows is a whimsical family adventure with anthropomorphic animals, broad physical comedy, and a lively pace. The main sensitive elements involve chases, comic crashes, arrests, threatening weasels, and a plot in which the heroes are put in serious looking danger at a factory, although the presentation stays highly stylized and not realistic. The overall intensity is moderate, with no graphic injury and no sexual content, but several scenes may unsettle younger viewers because of shouting, kidnapping, imprisonment, and a sense of repeated peril around Toad Hall and the dog food factory. For most children, it is likely to work best from about age 7, with an adult present if the child is easily worried by villainous characters or captivity scenes. Parents may want to reassure children in advance that the villains are theatrical and that the crashes and chase scenes are played more for comedy than realism.
Synopsis
Jailed for his reckless driving, rambunctious Mr. Toad has to escape from prison when his beloved Toad Hall comes under threat from the wily weasels, who plan to build a dog food factory on the very meadow sold to them by Toad himself.
Difficult scenes
Early in the film, Mole's underground home is destroyed when the land above it is torn up by a machine driven by weasels. This may startle younger children because it combines the loss of a home, loud activity, and the immediate presence of hostile villains, even though the scene is presented in a fanciful style. The sequences built around Toad's obsession with motor cars include reckless driving, road mishaps, and several comic crashes. These scenes are played for humor, but their repetition may unsettle children who are sensitive to collisions, shouting, or noisy chaos. The trial and imprisonment section may feel troubling for younger viewers because Toad is judged unfairly, given a very harsh sentence, and locked in a dungeon. There is no graphic violence, but the idea of a long punishment and the prison atmosphere create more tension than a very gentle comedy would. Later in the story, the weasels become a more concrete threat when they capture characters and place them above machinery in a dog food factory. The presentation remains family friendly and does not show shocking detail, but the idea that the heroes could be turned into dog food is dark enough that younger or very imaginative children may need reassurance.