Watch Kids' Reviews of
MADDIE AND FRANNIE

This is a charming, if not slightly off-kilter in an endearing way, fantasy about two little girls and their efforts to save the last purple rhinoceros. The theme of wanting to 'add to the universe' is a great idea for a children's film and the girls' ensuing adventures are exciting. Throughout, the magical element is handled in a matter-of-fact way that makes even the most implausible plot elements believable: animals that can change into stuffies and back again, the girls' ability to intuitively communicate with wild animals, the fearless way they face scary or yuckie situations, their ability to move through an adult world without being apprehended - all of these are facilitated by a magical sense that the universe is moving things along for them. Yet, in spite of the innocence and the nobility of the quest, the tone in the writing creates a dramatic irony, a darker tone. The girls' language, their assessment of situations and their control are all beyond the skills of the average ten or eleven-year-old. And whether intended or not, the older perspective creates a dissonant shadow that lends a sense that there are other forces at work here. We know they are in over their heads (or are they?) and we are still willing to be swept up in their adventure. And because we know that this could end badly, it adds to the tension. The girls' word choices and dialog seems older than their years. Their emotional and intellectual processing does not seem to include fear. Instead, whenever they think they're about to die, they burst into song; unlikely but delightful.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, plus adults. By Juror #11.

This is a charming, if not slightly off-kilter in an endearing way, fantasy about two little girls and their efforts to save the last purple rhinoceros. The theme of wanting to 'add to the universe' is a great idea for a children's film and the girls' ensuing adventures are exciting. Throughout, the magical element is handled in a matter-of-fact way that makes even the most implausible plot elements believable: animals that can change into stuffies and back again, the girls' ability to intuitively communicate with wild animals, the fearless way they face scary or yuckie situations, their ability to move through an adult world without being apprehended - all of these are facilitated by a magical sense that the universe is moving things along for them. Yet, in spite of the innocence and the nobility of the quest, the tone in the writing creates a dramatic irony, a darker tone. The girls' language, their assessment of situations and their control are all beyond the skills of the average ten or eleven-year-old. And whether intended or not, the older perspective creates a dissonant shadow that lends a sense that there are other forces at work here. We know they are in over their heads (or are they?) and we are still willing to be swept up in their adventure. And because we know that this could end badly, it adds to the tension. The girls' word choices and dialog seems older than their years. Their emotional and intellectual processing does not seem to include fear. Instead, whenever they think they're about to die, they burst into song; unlikely but delightful.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, plus adults. By Juror #11.

When precocious 10-year-old Maddie Davis discovers she can turn her dog T-Rex into a stuffed animal, it gives her the idea to sneak off to Kenya and save the rare southern purple rhino.