The Little Prince Review — Out of This World

By Staci Layne Wilson

The Little Girl (Mackenzie Foy) is all work and no play – that’s because her micromanaging Mom (Rachel McAdams) has got the whole summer vacation wrapped up in study so she can get into the most prestigious academy of higher learning in all the land. Each and every second is planned out for the young student, leaving absolutely no room for R&R.

But one day while Mom is at work, The Little Girl meets The Aviator (Jeff Bridges), a kindly and colorful old man living next door. She gets some R&R on the sly. The lonely child is fascinated by the cozy clutter of his home – hers is stark and sterile – and the joyous way in which he tells the tales of his life – hers is all equations and text books. Her favorite story is that of The Little Prince (Riley Osborne), a mysterious boy The Aviator met many moons ago when his bi-plane crash-landed on an asteroid. The Aviator always wondered what happened to The Little Prince, but he’s too old and rickety now to go on any more expeditions – so, The Little Girl decides to go on an adventure to find his long-lost friend for him.

The third act of the movie does feel a bit abrupt in its sudden shift from mellow memories to all-out intergalactic adventure and peril at the hands of exaggerated evildoers The Businessman (Albert Brooks), The Conceited Man (Ricky Gervais), and The King (Bud Cort), but maybe the younger audience will enjoy all the sound and fury. In any case, it doesn’t detract too much from the overall beauty of the film and its message “what’s most important is invisible to the eye.”

Directed by Mark Osborne (Kung-fu Panda), the film’s computer-generated animation is exquisite and expressive. In the segments that show The Little Prince’s side of the story, the technique switches to a stop-motion paper-craft style that captures the spirit of a children’s book… specifically that of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s 1943 novella, which is beloved for its simple-sketch style and iconic cursive font.

The Little Prince is a fond tribute, true to its source material and original unto itself. Best of all, it’s imbued with real and poignant characters – cartoons though they may be – who not only think and feel, but provoke thought and emotion in the audience. It’s truly extraordinary.

87 Minutes

Rated G

Get times and tickets at Fandango.com

THE LITTLE PRINCE Review — Out of This World

By Staci Layne Wilson
@StaciWilson