The House of Magic
The House of Magic
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Watch-outs
What this film brings
Content barometer
Violence
1/5
Mild
Fear
1/5
Mild
Sexuality
0/5
None
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
1/5
Accessible
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
The House of Magic is a Belgian animated film aimed at family audiences, carried by a warm and whimsical atmosphere in which an abandoned young cat finds shelter in a house inhabited by a retired magician and his colourful automatons. The sensitive elements are limited but worth noting: the film opens with the cat being deliberately abandoned by his owners, a scene that may affect younger or more sensitive viewers, and includes a few comic chase sequences involving a large menacing Doberman as well as moments where secondary characters actively try to harm or expel the hero. These moments remain in the gentle cartoon tradition, with no graphic violence or truly frightening atmosphere, and are quickly offset by the playful and reassuring overall tone. Parents can comfortably watch this film with children from age 4 or 5, simply being ready to reassure a sensitive toddler during the opening abandonment scene or the chase sequences.
Synopsis
Thunder, an abandoned young cat seeking shelter from a storm, stumbles into the strangest house imaginable, owned by an old magician and inhabited by a dazzling array of automatons and gizmos. Not everyone welcomes the new addition to the troupe as Jack Rabbit and Maggie Mouse plot to evict Thunder. The situation gets worse when the magician lands in hospital and his scheming nephew sees his chance to cash in by selling the mansion. Our young hero is determined to earn his place and so he enlists the help of some wacky magician's assistants to protect his magical new home.
Difficult scenes
In the very first minutes, the young cat Thunder is deliberately abandoned by his family in the middle of the city: his owners throw a ball to lure him out of the car, then close the door and drive away without him. The scene is shown clearly and may provoke a strong emotional reaction in sensitive children or those particularly attached to a pet. Thunder is chased through the streets by a large and menacing Doberman in a sequence of obstacles and near-accidents that, even handled in a comedic fashion, may surprise or unsettle very young viewers, particularly because of the dog's aggressive energy and the kitten's obvious vulnerability. Jack the rabbit and Maggie the mouse repeatedly attempt to get rid of Thunder, and in one of the most concrete acts they jab sharpened crayons into his paws to knock him off Lawrence's bicycle. This deliberately hurtful gesture, even presented in cartoon style, may surprise children accustomed to films in which secondary characters are immediately kind. Lawrence's fall and subsequent hospitalisation occur as a direct consequence of one of Jack's malicious actions, briefly introducing a moral causality in which a bad deed causes real harm to a loving adult character. The sequence is short and not graphic, but it may prompt questions from children about responsibility and consequences.
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
- 2013
- Runtime
- 1h 22m
- Countries
- Belgium, France, United Kingdom
- Original language
- EN
- Directed by
- Ben Stassen, Jérémie Degruson
- Main cast
- Brianne Siddall, Shanelle Gray, Robin Atkin Downes, Doug Stone, Grant George, Joey Camen, Elisa Gabrielli, Cinda Adams, Sage Sommer, Kyle Hebert
- Studios
- nWave Pictures, StudioCanal, uMedia, Anton Capital Entertainment
Content barometer
Violence
1/5
Mild
Fear
1/5
Mild
Sexuality
0/5
None
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
1/5
Accessible
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
The House of Magic is a Belgian animated film aimed at family audiences, carried by a warm and whimsical atmosphere in which an abandoned young cat finds shelter in a house inhabited by a retired magician and his colourful automatons. The sensitive elements are limited but worth noting: the film opens with the cat being deliberately abandoned by his owners, a scene that may affect younger or more sensitive viewers, and includes a few comic chase sequences involving a large menacing Doberman as well as moments where secondary characters actively try to harm or expel the hero. These moments remain in the gentle cartoon tradition, with no graphic violence or truly frightening atmosphere, and are quickly offset by the playful and reassuring overall tone. Parents can comfortably watch this film with children from age 4 or 5, simply being ready to reassure a sensitive toddler during the opening abandonment scene or the chase sequences.
Synopsis
Thunder, an abandoned young cat seeking shelter from a storm, stumbles into the strangest house imaginable, owned by an old magician and inhabited by a dazzling array of automatons and gizmos. Not everyone welcomes the new addition to the troupe as Jack Rabbit and Maggie Mouse plot to evict Thunder. The situation gets worse when the magician lands in hospital and his scheming nephew sees his chance to cash in by selling the mansion. Our young hero is determined to earn his place and so he enlists the help of some wacky magician's assistants to protect his magical new home.
Difficult scenes
In the very first minutes, the young cat Thunder is deliberately abandoned by his family in the middle of the city: his owners throw a ball to lure him out of the car, then close the door and drive away without him. The scene is shown clearly and may provoke a strong emotional reaction in sensitive children or those particularly attached to a pet. Thunder is chased through the streets by a large and menacing Doberman in a sequence of obstacles and near-accidents that, even handled in a comedic fashion, may surprise or unsettle very young viewers, particularly because of the dog's aggressive energy and the kitten's obvious vulnerability. Jack the rabbit and Maggie the mouse repeatedly attempt to get rid of Thunder, and in one of the most concrete acts they jab sharpened crayons into his paws to knock him off Lawrence's bicycle. This deliberately hurtful gesture, even presented in cartoon style, may surprise children accustomed to films in which secondary characters are immediately kind. Lawrence's fall and subsequent hospitalisation occur as a direct consequence of one of Jack's malicious actions, briefly introducing a moral causality in which a bad deed causes real harm to a loving adult character. The sequence is short and not graphic, but it may prompt questions from children about responsibility and consequences.