Animated Ukrainian fairy tale has some peril, scary moments.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Depictions of war and fighting, including people burning an enchanted forest with blow torches. A machine knocks down trees and everything in its path, including forest creatures. People fight with chainsaws and axes and tie up their captives. Soldiers fire a musket at an animal for sport. Lucas encounters many injuries and dangerous situations, including getting hit with an instrument, getting strangled and slapped by a forest creature, and nearly drowning while being locked underground. An important forest creature is stabbed. Mavka trades her life to an evil spirit to use its power to try to defeat her enemies. Townspeople and houses are sucked into a fiery vortex. Many close calls and near-death moments.
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Forest nymphs flirt and lure men toward them in a seductive way. As a soldier runs from a nymph, he trips out of a pond in his underwear. Mavka and Lucas hold hands and kiss.
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The movie promotes not judging a whole community based on one person. Some themes of kindness, trust, empathy, the power of love, environmentalism, teamwork, and finding a solution to problems other than fighting and violence.
Positive Role Models
some
Mavka is a brave and willing leader. She's kind even when others tell her she's too kind. Lucas is loyal and kind and consistently tries to do the right thing. Kylina is vain and selfish and faces consequences for constantly putting herself and her vanity before others, but those consequences don't happen until the end.
Diverse Representations
very little
Based on a Ukrainian fairy tale. Strong female lead character. Supporting characters are of different ages. The fairies appear in different shapes, sizes, and fantasy skin colors. No racial diversity.
Parents need to know that Mavka: The Forest Song is an animated fantasy film based on a Ukrainian fairy tale and has some violence and themes that might be scary for some younger viewers. The movie includes fantasy violence and potentially frightening images of fairy creatures, depictions of war, and fighting. Humans burn down an enchanted forest with blow torches. People get slapped, hit, knocked out, and imprisoned and suffer near-drownings. Animals are shot at, and a character is shown walking around with a fox skin scarf. In one particularly dark scene, Mavka trades her life power to an evil spirit to have the strength to try to defeat her enemies. Townspeople and houses are sucked into a fiery vortex. Language includes "stupid," "idiot," "dumb," "fools," and "loser." Forest nymphs flirt and lure men toward them in a seductive way. As a soldier runs from a nymph, he trips out of a pond in his underwear. On a positive note, the movie highlights a courageous heroine who consistently chooses kindness (aside from one moment of weakness). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Set against an enchanting backdrop, MAVKA: THE FOREST SONG revolves around a legendary tree with magical healing powers hidden within an enchanted forest. The story unfolds as a wealthy sawmill owner tries to use its magic to cure his ailing daughter. But his greed triggers a conflict between humans and the woodland beings, causing a devastating fire and a divide between their worlds. Amid this tension, Mavka (voiced by Laurie Hymes), a benevolent forest nymph, helps Lucas (voiced by Eddy Lee), a village musician, on a quest to save his uncle. As they navigate their destinies, a sinister woman named Kylina (Sarah Natochenny) threatens to take the tree's power. Mavka's rise to become the new forest guardian and her new friendship with Lucas sparks hope for harmony between the two worlds. But will it be enough? As the story unfolds, the dwellers in both realms must learn to let go of judgments and find the power in unity.
Watching Mavka: The Forest Song feels like watching a version of Tangled meets FernGully. The Ukrainian animated film blends elements of familiar fairy tales with a unique cultural twist. The film is set in an enchanted forest inhabited by mystical creatures and ancient trees. Mavka is the guardian of the forest, a role that brings both privilege and jealousy among her fellow nymphs. The story takes an interesting turn when Kylina, a cruel and vain villain, sets out to harness the forest's heart for eternal youth. In the middle of all this, Mavka develops an unexpected connection with Lucas, a village musician, which threatens to disrupt the delicate balance between the human and mystical realms.
Though predictable, the film is beautifully animated. It offers positive messages about environmentalism, giving others a chance, and what can happen when two sides decide to work together for the greater good.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the relationship between humans and nature. Can you think of ways that people and animals interact in the real world? How can this story relate to our own world and the importance of taking care of nature?
In this movie, we see how far Kylina is willing to go for her physical appearance. What do you think the filmmakers are trying to tell us about valuing outward appearances? Do you agree with the movie's message? How can we balance taking care of ourselves while also respecting nature and others?
Have you ever seen other movies or read books with similar themes of friendship and protecting the environment? How does this movie compare to those?
If you could create your own magical forest, what kind of creatures and plants would you include? What adventures would happen there?
Why do you think Mavka is chosen as the new forest guardian? What qualities make her a good protector of the forest?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Jennifer Borget
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
