The Secret of Butterflies * In The World Of Anthropomorphic Insects, Comes One That Shows Us The Power Of Perseverance And Friendship
The story’s hero insect dreams of becoming a butterfly and being able to fly. He hears of a powerful white spider that has discovered the secret of making beautiful butterflies. Setting out to find this spider, he befriends other insects and must face his fears and rely on friends.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic IvyJoy C. comments, “The Secret of Butterflies is an enjoyable, fun-to-watch movie with good animation and voice acting. The film’s message is to be careful who you trust and don’t believe everything you hear. It also reminds us that we are great just the way we are, and don’t let your own ambitions cloud your judgment.” Valerie M. adds, “This is a great film for younger audiences. I found the story itself very interesting. Ryan has to deal with limited beliefs, bullying and even corruption.” KIDS FIRST! Adult juror Julie S. adds, “In the world of anthropomorphic insects, comes The Secret of Butterflies! Talking insects – butterfly parents that have the same types of concerns that human parents do and live in houses that I could move into next week – I was captivated by this story. It shows the power of perseverance and friendship.” See their full reviews below.
The Secret of Butterflies
By IvyJoy C., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11
The Secret of Butterflies is an enjoyable, fun-to-watch movie with good animation and voice acting.
This storyline follows an adventurous insect named Ryan (Ryan Bartley) whose wish is to become a butterfly so that he can fly. Ryan hears rumors of a mysterious white spider called Liam who has the magical ability of transforming insects into butterflies and ventures off with his friend on a journey to make his dreams come true only to learn that this devious white spider isn’t all that he seems. Ryan and his friends must battle through an army of little bugs to save innocent butterflies and defeat Liam once and for all.
This film tells a good story and is perfect for younger children. This film was originally made in Iran by Ali Tanhaee, who directed the dubbing for this English version. To his credit, the voice actors fit the characters perfectly. The animation is a highlight of the film; the colors are vibrant when appropriate and the foliage stands out. The characters are quite well illustrated – their eyes stand out, as they are deep and realistic looking. However, they feel a bit rigid and unnatural, and the core designs of the characters are very redundant. While I like the story, at times the dialogue seems unnaturally translated from the original, like when Liam says, “I always love when things happen, especially when I am the one who makes everything happen.”
What this film lacks in character portrayal, it makes up for in the movements of elements such as fire, wind, and water. My favorite part is the classic moment where good triumphs over evil, and Liam is defeated.
The film’s message is to be careful who you trust and don’t believe everything you hear. It also reminds us that we are great just the way we are, and don’t let your own ambitions cloud your judgment. Note that it contains mild violence and fighting, but nothing too extreme.
I give The Secret of Butterflies 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12. You can find this film on VOD and digital platforms beginning August 5, 2025.
The Secret of Butterflies
By Valerie M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12
The Secret of Butterflies is like a fever dream. It sends a powerful message, but it has certain qualities that I found a bit unsettling.
The storyline follows Ryan, a bug who has always dreamed of being a butterfly. He lives in a house with other bugs with no memory of how he got there. One day, he finally escapes the house and begins his journey to becoming a butterfly.
This is a great film for younger audiences. I found the story itself very interesting. Ryan has to deal with limited beliefs, bullying and even corruption. In this world, butterflies are seen as the most beautiful creatures to the point where butterflies feel like they have the right to step on other bugs because they are better. In the end, we see how everyone is equal no matter their appearance. I particularly like how the main villain, a white spider named Liam, is portrayed. At first, he appears friendly, even praising Ryan, telling him how special he is and how hard it is to find bugs like him. This shows us that not everyone can be trusted. I also appreciate that Ryan attempts to fix his mistakes. He even admits that he was wrong and apologizes instead of letting the fact that he helped everyone be his apology.
This film gives me a strange feeling of nostalgia and discomfort that cannot be easily described – it reminds me of old cartoons made in other countries. Note that the animation style is very different from a Disney 3D animated film. Some of the characters end up triggering the unsettling feeling a person gets when an animated character appears too close to reality. I felt that some of the voiceovers don’t convey emotions very well, which makes it hard to tell what they’re feeling. When Ryan and his friend argue, I didn’t realize that his friend was mad until he said so. For its North American release, an English‑language dub was created featuring the voice talent of Innes Maas, Tara MacPherson, Jaryd Pilay, David Wilke, Jake Maisel, and Janeke Huisamen.
The film’s message tells us that friendship and teamwork will always be better than exploiting others. Be aware that there is a lot of fighting, death and an attempt of suicide. However, nothing is bloody or gory.
I give The Secret of Butterflies 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 8. You can find it on VOD or digital beginning August 5, 2025.
The Secret of Butterflies
By Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
In the world of anthropomorphic insects, comes The Secret of Butterflies! Talking insects – butterfly parents that have the same types of concerns that human parents do and live in houses that I could move into next week – I was captivated by this story. It shows the power of perseverance and friendship.
The story’s villain is a powerful white spider who claims to have discovered the secret of making beautiful butterflies.
The film begins in a peaceful butterfly village, where we follow a butterfly family in their daily life. The animation is a highlight—the characters are well-defined, and the forest background looks stunningly realistic. This tranquility is shattered when a villainous spider burns down the village, killing the butterfly boy, Ryan’s, father. Ryan escapes, but years later, we find him trapped in a human’s basement, dreaming of the day he can fly and become a butterfly. He escapes into the wilderness, where he encounters a group of bullying insects. Ryan, however, has some impressive martial arts skills and manages to fight them off.
Later, he stumbles upon the Golden Butterfly Show, a competition where he feels out of place. Discouraged, he runs away until his new friend comforts him and suggests seeking out a witch named Liam, who can supposedly turn him into a butterfly. Ryan sets off in search of Liam, only to discover that Liam is the very same white spider who destroyed his village. Captured, Ryan learns the spider’s history from one of the guards before being rescued by his new friends. The film culminates in a duel between Ryan and his friends and the white spider. Ryan is nearly defeated, but his friends remind him that he only needs to flap his wings to fly. It’s through the power of teamwork that they finally defeat the spider and free the captured butterflies. Kudos to filmmaker Ali Tanhaee for creating such a unique and colorful story.
For its North American release, Vision Films created a full English-language dub featuring Innes Maas, Tara MacPherson, Jaryd Pilay, David Wilke, Jake Maisel, and Janeke Huisamen.
The film’s message is about finding yourself and working together with others as a team. Be aware that there is a lot of fighting, bullying and burning down a home.
I give The Secret of Butterflies 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12, plus adults. You can find it on VOD and digital platforms beginning August 5, 2025.
