The Triplets of Belleville
The Triplets of Belleville
Your feedback improves this guide
Your feedback highlights guides that need a second look and keeps the rating trustworthy.
Does this age rating seem accurate to you?
Sign in to vote
Watch-outs
What this film brings
Content barometer
Violence
2/5
Moderate
Fear
3/5
Notable tension
Sexuality
0/5
None
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
2/5
Moderate
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
The Triplets of Belleville is a distinctive French animated film that blends burlesque humor, expressionist visuals, and melancholic tenderness in an offbeat adventure driven by a grandmother's unconditional love for her grandson. The film contains notable sensitive elements, including a kidnapping carried out by French mobsters, menacing antagonists presented as a genuine threat, and an intense chase sequence that takes up a significant portion of the story. These elements recur regularly in the second half of the film, treated in a stylized manner but giving the villains a genuinely oppressive presence and creating real dramatic tension. The overall atmosphere is melancholic from the very first scenes, featuring a lonely orphan child, and the film addresses themes such as parental absence, sacrifice, and aging without sugarcoating them, which may require parental guidance for younger viewers.
Synopsis
When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters—an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire—to rescue him.
Difficult scenes
The kidnapping of Champion and two other cyclists during the Tour de France: large, menacing men dressed entirely in black forcibly bundle the riders into a van in the middle of the race. The scene is brief but jarring in its sudden brutality, and the kidnappers maintain an intentionally threatening presence throughout the entire film. The sequence inside the mob hideout: Champion and the other kidnapped cyclists are forced to pedal continuously to power an illegal gambling machine, in a dark and oppressive environment. Even though the treatment remains stylized, the situation of forced exploitation and confinement may be anxiety-inducing for sensitive children. The final chase sequence: Madame Souza and the Triplets flee with the cyclists, pursued by numerous mob cars in a long and intense sequence. Firearms are used by the pursuers, and the tension is sustained over a significant duration, making this episode clearly more striking than a simple comedic chase. The melancholic atmosphere of the opening sequences: young Champion is introduced as a deeply sad orphan who does not respond to his grandmother's attempts to cheer him up. This initial sadness, combined with the absence of his parents, may resonate strongly with children who have themselves experienced separation or loss.
Where to watch
Availability checked on Apr 03, 2026
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 2003
- Runtime
- 1h 18m
- Countries
- France, Belgium, Canada, United Kingdom
- Original language
- FR
- Directed by
- Sylvain Chomet
- Main cast
- Suzy Falk, Lina Boudreau, Betty Bonifassi, Michèle Caucheteux, Jean-Claude Donda, Mari-Lou Gauthier, Charles Linton, Monica Viegas, Michel Robin
- Studios
- Les Armateurs, Production Champion, Vivi Film, France 3 Cinéma, RGP France, BBC Bristol Productions, BBC Worldwide Productions
Content barometer
Violence
2/5
Moderate
Fear
3/5
Notable tension
Sexuality
0/5
None
Language
0/5
None
Narrative complexity
2/5
Moderate
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
The Triplets of Belleville is a distinctive French animated film that blends burlesque humor, expressionist visuals, and melancholic tenderness in an offbeat adventure driven by a grandmother's unconditional love for her grandson. The film contains notable sensitive elements, including a kidnapping carried out by French mobsters, menacing antagonists presented as a genuine threat, and an intense chase sequence that takes up a significant portion of the story. These elements recur regularly in the second half of the film, treated in a stylized manner but giving the villains a genuinely oppressive presence and creating real dramatic tension. The overall atmosphere is melancholic from the very first scenes, featuring a lonely orphan child, and the film addresses themes such as parental absence, sacrifice, and aging without sugarcoating them, which may require parental guidance for younger viewers.
Synopsis
When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters—an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire—to rescue him.
Difficult scenes
The kidnapping of Champion and two other cyclists during the Tour de France: large, menacing men dressed entirely in black forcibly bundle the riders into a van in the middle of the race. The scene is brief but jarring in its sudden brutality, and the kidnappers maintain an intentionally threatening presence throughout the entire film. The sequence inside the mob hideout: Champion and the other kidnapped cyclists are forced to pedal continuously to power an illegal gambling machine, in a dark and oppressive environment. Even though the treatment remains stylized, the situation of forced exploitation and confinement may be anxiety-inducing for sensitive children. The final chase sequence: Madame Souza and the Triplets flee with the cyclists, pursued by numerous mob cars in a long and intense sequence. Firearms are used by the pursuers, and the tension is sustained over a significant duration, making this episode clearly more striking than a simple comedic chase. The melancholic atmosphere of the opening sequences: young Champion is introduced as a deeply sad orphan who does not respond to his grandmother's attempts to cheer him up. This initial sadness, combined with the absence of his parents, may resonate strongly with children who have themselves experienced separation or loss.