The Ugly Duckling and Me!
The Ugly Duckling and Me!
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Watch-outs
What this film brings
Content barometer
Violence
2/5
Moderate
Fear
2/5
A few scenes
Sexuality
1/5
Allusions
Language
1/5
Mild
Narrative complexity
1/5
Accessible
Adult themes
1/5
Mild
Expert review
This animated feature is a lively comic adventure about a boastful city rat and a young bird rejected for how he looks, set in a highly stylized farm and carnival world. The main sensitive elements are repeated chases, predator threats, ridicule aimed at the young hero's appearance, and a thread of emotional rejection that may sting for sensitive children. The intensity stays moderate and clearly cartoonish, with no graphic violence and no meaningful adult content, but tense and humiliating moments do appear more than once throughout the story. The film can also feel unexpectedly sad because it deals with abandonment and with a caregiver figure who sometimes treats the child selfishly or harshly. For children under 6, watching together is helpful so adults can reassure them during chase scenes, explain the bullying dynamics, and talk afterward about self worth and kindness.
Synopsis
The Hans Christian Anderson tale gets a new treatment, this time with a rat trying to exploit the talents of a little ugly duckling for profit.
Difficult scenes
Early in the story, Ratso lies about being the parent of the egg and then ends up stuck caring for a young bird he never wanted to raise. The relationship is often played for comedy, but children can still notice that the little one feels unwanted, manipulated, or treated like a burden, which may create emotional discomfort. The journey includes several danger scenes involving threatening animals, including a fox encounter and a tense sequence with a pike in icy water. These moments stay stylized and non graphic, but they can still unsettle younger viewers because the danger feels immediate and the characters seem close to being caught. A major part of the story centers on ridicule about the ugly duckling's appearance, with other animals reacting to him as strange or laughable. At one point he is pushed into performing so others can laugh at him, turning his difference into humiliation, which may strongly affect children who are sensitive to bullying or shame. Later, the characters are caught up by enemies and several animals are threatened or held captive in a sequence that feels more frantic than the rest of the film. It is not graphic, but the build up of danger, arguments, and betrayal can be a bit intense for very young children.
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
- 2006
- Runtime
- 1h 25m
- Countries
- Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland
- Original language
- EN
- Directed by
- Michael Hegner, Karsten Kiilerich
- Main cast
- Morgan C. Jones, Paul Tylak, Anna Nugent, Gary Hetzler, Danna Davis, Barbara Bergin, Michelle Read, Hilary Cahill, Kim Larney, Hillary Kavanagh
- Studios
- A. Film Production, Futurikon, Eurimages, Ulysses Filmproduktion, TPS Star, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Magma Films, CNC, MEDIA Programme of the European Union, The Danish Film Institute, SND, Gébéka Films
Content barometer
Violence
2/5
Moderate
Fear
2/5
A few scenes
Sexuality
1/5
Allusions
Language
1/5
Mild
Narrative complexity
1/5
Accessible
Adult themes
1/5
Mild
Expert review
This animated feature is a lively comic adventure about a boastful city rat and a young bird rejected for how he looks, set in a highly stylized farm and carnival world. The main sensitive elements are repeated chases, predator threats, ridicule aimed at the young hero's appearance, and a thread of emotional rejection that may sting for sensitive children. The intensity stays moderate and clearly cartoonish, with no graphic violence and no meaningful adult content, but tense and humiliating moments do appear more than once throughout the story. The film can also feel unexpectedly sad because it deals with abandonment and with a caregiver figure who sometimes treats the child selfishly or harshly. For children under 6, watching together is helpful so adults can reassure them during chase scenes, explain the bullying dynamics, and talk afterward about self worth and kindness.
Synopsis
The Hans Christian Anderson tale gets a new treatment, this time with a rat trying to exploit the talents of a little ugly duckling for profit.
Difficult scenes
Early in the story, Ratso lies about being the parent of the egg and then ends up stuck caring for a young bird he never wanted to raise. The relationship is often played for comedy, but children can still notice that the little one feels unwanted, manipulated, or treated like a burden, which may create emotional discomfort. The journey includes several danger scenes involving threatening animals, including a fox encounter and a tense sequence with a pike in icy water. These moments stay stylized and non graphic, but they can still unsettle younger viewers because the danger feels immediate and the characters seem close to being caught. A major part of the story centers on ridicule about the ugly duckling's appearance, with other animals reacting to him as strange or laughable. At one point he is pushed into performing so others can laugh at him, turning his difference into humiliation, which may strongly affect children who are sensitive to bullying or shame. Later, the characters are caught up by enemies and several animals are threatened or held captive in a sequence that feels more frantic than the rest of the film. It is not graphic, but the build up of danger, arguments, and betrayal can be a bit intense for very young children.