Watch Kids' Reviews of
UNKNOWN SOLDIER, THE

I found The Unknown Soldier fascinating. The flashbacks offer a great way to show how the children's imaginations work in an exciting way. The climax was a bit disappointing, but I still liked it.

The story follows several kids as they imagine what their ancestor's experiences were in WWI.

The storyline is excellent. It makes various references to Black people's experiences in the war, which I like, and the story itself is intriguing. The villain works well, but doesn't seem very evil until the end. The heroes antagonize her and I had trouble sympathizing with them at first, but by the end, the villain reveals herself to be truly evil.

I really like the animation. I applaud the animators, for their excellent work throughout. At times it is quite basic, the way people are depicted and how they move is impressive. The colors are bright and vibrant. One of my favorite shots is one where one of the characters, marches off to battle. Everyone else around him is dressed in darker colors, and he stands out in stark white - representing his position as the main character's grandfather. The sets have great symbolic importance to the story. The most significant, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Belgium, is intermixed with the sets that the characters imagine. The background music is original and exciting. For example, war-like music plays during an imagined charge, capturing the feeling of being at war. Music that depicts dread plays when it seems the main characters will never win. All of the music gives the story a deeper, fuller tone.

The characters are all very engaging, especially the girl, Fatou and the boy, Younes. The voice actors are superb. I especially like how the characters have very contradictory reactions. For example, the hotheaded Younes chooses to walk away from a scene rather than start a fight. In the hands of a lesser writer, it would be poor characterization, but in this movie, that functions as an instance of growth. My favorite part is the scene where Younes' great-grandfather leaves home. We see how he realizes how alone he truly is, and the way his lady is portrayed is beautifully rendered.

The message of this film is about learning from the past and understanding others.

I give The Unknown Soldier 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. Reviewed by Sandrine A., KIDS FIRST!

I found The Unknown Soldier fascinating. The flashbacks offer a great way to show how the children's imaginations work in an exciting way. The climax was a bit disappointing, but I still liked it.

The story follows several kids as they imagine what their ancestor's experiences were in WWI.

The storyline is excellent. It makes various references to Black people's experiences in the war, which I like, and the story itself is intriguing. The villain works well, but doesn't seem very evil until the end. The heroes antagonize her and I had trouble sympathizing with them at first, but by the end, the villain reveals herself to be truly evil.

I really like the animation. I applaud the animators, for their excellent work throughout. At times it is quite basic, the way people are depicted and how they move is impressive. The colors are bright and vibrant. One of my favorite shots is one where one of the characters, marches off to battle. Everyone else around him is dressed in darker colors, and he stands out in stark white - representing his position as the main character's grandfather. The sets have great symbolic importance to the story. The most significant, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Belgium, is intermixed with the sets that the characters imagine. The background music is original and exciting. For example, war-like music plays during an imagined charge, capturing the feeling of being at war. Music that depicts dread plays when it seems the main characters will never win. All of the music gives the story a deeper, fuller tone.

The characters are all very engaging, especially the girl, Fatou and the boy, Younes. The voice actors are superb. I especially like how the characters have very contradictory reactions. For example, the hotheaded Younes chooses to walk away from a scene rather than start a fight. In the hands of a lesser writer, it would be poor characterization, but in this movie, that functions as an instance of growth. My favorite part is the scene where Younes' great-grandfather leaves home. We see how he realizes how alone he truly is, and the way his lady is portrayed is beautifully rendered.

The message of this film is about learning from the past and understanding others.

I give The Unknown Soldier 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. Reviewed by Sandrine A., KIDS FIRST!

Inspired by the idea that the Unknown Soldier might be their (great) great grandfather, a group of children from Brussels with different roots fantasizes about the adventures of their ancestors in World War I.