Turu, the Wacky Hen
La Gallina Turuleca
Does this age rating seem accurate to you?
Detailed parental analysis
Plume, the Farmyard Has an Incredible Talent is a light and colourful Spanish animated comedy, carried along by a festive and good-natured atmosphere. The story follows Plume, an atypical hen unable to lay eggs, who dreams of becoming a circus star despite the mockery of her peers. The film is aimed primarily at young children, with a burlesque tone and simple plot twists that will appeal especially to those under ten years old.
Underlying Values
The film builds its narrative around positive and clearly legible values: perseverance in the face of failure, genuine friendship, teamwork and the courage to remain oneself despite the judgement of others. These messages are conveyed consistently and constitute the true emotional engine of the story. However, the villain character, driven by revenge, undergoes no evolution or change of heart, which deprives the narrative of a complete moral lesson on this point. This is a useful angle to explore with your child: why do some characters not change, and what does that tell us about resentment?
Discrimination
The film presents two non-white human characters caricatured in a problematic manner: one is dressed in an excessively stylised traditional Chinese costume, the other wears an outfit associated with stereotypical representations of Africa. These two characters are moreover depicted as lazy, which reinforces a negative association between ethnic origin and behaviour. These representations are marginal in the overall narrative economy but sufficiently visible to warrant discussion with your child about what it means to caricature a culture.
Violence
Violence remains purely burlesque in register and without real consequence: falls, kicks between poultry, a character propelled by a cannon. One scene shows a human who pushes and grabs a hen in a somewhat rough manner. Nothing traumatic for a young audience, but younger children sensitive to situations of physical tension may be slightly startled.
Sex and Nudity
A light romantic subplot between two birds is present: a hen escapes at night to meet a rooster, they dance and exchange a kiss. Everything remains very innocent and suited to the young audience it targets.
Strengths
The film honestly fulfils its contract as entertainment for young children, with a brisk pace and endearing characters, including Plume, whose tenacity is well developed throughout. The themes of exclusion and difference are treated with sufficient clarity that a five or six-year-old child can understand them without adult mediation. The friendship dynamic between the secondary characters brings a genuine warmth that compensates for the relative simplicity of the plot.
Age recommendation and discussion points
The film is suitable from five or six years old for peaceful viewing. Two angles of discussion merit being opened after the film: first, why Plume is mocked and how she responds, to talk about difference and peer harassment; secondly, the caricatural representations of certain characters, to begin with your child a first reflection on stereotypes linked to origins.
Synopsis
Like a love song to differences, Turu, the Wacky Hen tells the story of a creature who, due to her particular appearance, becomes the object of ridicule for the rest of the henhouse. Her wiry legs and featherless back don’t startle Isabel, an ex music teacher who picks her for being so special. Turuleca doesn’t lay eggs because her hidden talent is another: she talks, she sings and she dances, giving it her all. Turu, the Wacky Hen is a full-color, animated party that invites us to move our bodies to its musical numbers, making us sing verses that have the power to turn us into children once again, if only for a little while.
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 2020
- Runtime
- 1h 17m
- Countries
- Argentina, Spain
- Original language
- ES
- Directed by
- Víctor Monigote, Eduardo Gondell
- Main cast
- Eva Hache, José Mota, Ana Ángeles García, Álvaro de Juana Pecos, Paula Coria Portilla
- Studios
- Argentina Sono Film, Brown Films AIE, Gloriamundi Producciones, In Post We Trust, INCAA, Mediabyte, Mogambo Films, Pampa Films, Produccions A Fonsagrada, Tandem Films
Content barometer
- Violence1/5Mild
- Fear1/5Mild
- Sexuality0/5None
- Language0/5None
- Narrative complexity1/5Accessible
- Adult themes0/5None
Watch-outs
- Bullying
- Ethnic or racial stereotypes
- Mockery