The Little Prince (Review)
Michael Scott
The year 2017 has been a strange year for movies for me so far. Films like Beyond the Gates and Split have been underwhelming and surprisingly bad. But it's not been a bad year.
The Little Prince is a pixar-ish take on the beloved french novella "Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
It feels complete in a way that not every movie does. It has a satisfying ending and though logic isn't the biggest driver of the plot, the film depends more on symbolism than concrete events. In fact, it is one of the best examples I've ever seen of symbolic storytelling. Many movies get it wrong, trying either too hard or not hard enough to get an audience reaction.
It's a lovely work of animation that is almost Pixar quality in terms of raw artistic talent, and scores double-points for incorporating multiple art forms within a single narrative (about 1/3 of the movie is told in stop-motion). It touched me personally and it delivers its message well.
To be complete, the film is one of the few "family" films that actually earns the moniker. It truly is great for children and adults as well. Kids of a certain age may be bored by its whimsical storybook pacing, and impatient adults might be too jaded to lend an ear, but those who do will not be disappointed. Just have some tissues ready ;)
"To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world."