Is the film Triplets of Belleville appropriate for kids 5-8 y.o.?

June 3, 2004 9:48 PM

Triplets of Belleville. I recently bought it and have not watched it yet. My brother is coming this weekend with his two daughters aged 5 and 8. They normally like Shreck and Nemo. Is this film appropriate recommendation for a family viewing? I don't want to the be a dirty uncle.
posted by stbalbach to Media & Arts (23 answers total)

There's nothing "dirty" about it, but they won't get it. They may be entertained by it and sit still, but they may like it. It's very strange and abstract and French. It's not Disney.
posted by falconred at 9:59 PM on June 3, 2004

Falconred's on the mark: completely suitable for families, but off-kilter enough that a five-year-old may not take to it. That said, you shouldn't misunderstand: Triplettes de Belleville isn't arty, pretentious or difficult -- it's just weird. (And excellent!)
posted by Marquis at 10:01 PM on June 3, 2004

falconred and Marquis are right: nothing family-unfriendly happens in it.

It's the kind of movie where a kid will someday post to ask.metafilter.com with questions about what it's about, but I don't think a kid would be damaged by it.
posted by interrobang at 10:06 PM on June 3, 2004

...in fact, I think it'd be great as a weird memory of a strange thing for a developing person, the sort of thing that a kid would see when they were little and wonder about until they saw it again when they were twenty five. Character-building.
posted by interrobang at 10:09 PM on June 3, 2004

It's a wonderful movie — one of my all-time favorites... it is slightly surreal, and there is some gun violence towards the end, but it's slapstick. They won't get anything, but there's plenty of pretty colors.

: )

The only concern child-wise may be a 2 minute dance at the very beginning where a character goes topless and her boobs are flying all over the place. That dance is also coupled with some slightly lurid undertones. FWIW, the character is an homage to the black American woman who danced in 1920s Paris burlesque (her name escapes me).
posted by silusGROK at 10:37 PM on June 3, 2004

(her name escapes me)

josephine baker
posted by t r a c y at 10:58 PM on June 3, 2004

The only concern child-wise may be a 2 minute dance at the very beginning where a character goes topless and her boobs are flying all over the place.

I was watching this movie on my laptop on a plane and I forgot about this scene, but it's just a minute or two near the start and doesn't have much to do with the story.

That janet jackson boob thing freaked the country out so much that now I take documentaries and other harmless non-racy movies with me to watch on planes for fear of other passengers being offended.
posted by mathowie at 11:55 PM on June 3, 2004

It's a peculiar little "cartoon" that is certainly 99.5% kid-friendly. There is a chance that they might get bored with it however (I did to an extent). It's interesting to watch, for sure... but I could have waited for the rental I think.

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posted by Witty at 12:02 AM on June 4, 2004

I watched it over Christmas with some family and though I enjoyed it they found it boring as hell.

I really love "Spirited Away" but again I'm not sure if I'd recommend it to little kids. These kinds of films are simply not as accessible as Nemo.
posted by skylar at 12:39 AM on June 4, 2004

Yes, I'd first have them watch Spirited Away (which is a totally different type of movie). They will dig the central character (a young girl) and the icky creatures. If they do decide to watch Triplets, don't let them turn it off after just the first 2 or 3 minutes. The very start has a different look than the rest of the film. Also, you should be aware that Triplets has pretty much zero dialogue. Some kids enjoy a non-verbal world, others need to hear cute creatures babbling for an entire movie.
posted by gluechunk at 2:20 AM on June 4, 2004

Screenit.com will tell you, in near obsessive detail, exactly what content in any recent movie may or may not be suitable for kids. Here's their take on TOB.

As a parent, I consider Screenit one of the top five most useful sites on the Internet.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 2:51 AM on June 4, 2004

Just watched it again for the second time.
Look carefully for lots of subtle sight gags etc.
posted by Fupped Duck at 4:54 AM on June 4, 2004

I took my 7-yr-old nephew and he enjoyed it, though I think he was a bit puzzled by it all.

That janet jackson boob thing freaked the country out so much that now I take documentaries and other harmless non-racy movies with me to watch on planes for fear of other passengers being offended.

You are SO weird.
posted by rushmc at 5:51 AM on June 4, 2004

I just watched it last night. It'll bore youngsters. In my copy, a helpless minor character was EXECUTED just off-screen. Did nobody else notice that?
posted by coelecanth at 8:14 AM on June 4, 2004

Clarification: It's not French, but French-Canadian. We're just as good at strangeness and abstraction.
posted by grimley at 8:14 AM on June 4, 2004

It rules, and there's some gross humor that kids will enjoy.
posted by Shane at 8:58 AM on June 4, 2004

Also, bewarned: the copy I got from Netflix had very spotty subtitles. They cut out entirely after the first scene.
posted by PrinceValium at 9:10 AM on June 4, 2004

I'd think 5 might be a little young, but only because the "Why"s of what's going on often aren't apparent until later in the film, and I'd be surprised if a young kid would have the patience to wait for the payoff. And, as others have said, there is some (non-graphic) violence. I thought it was fantastic, myself.

PrinceValium: I don't recall any subtitles in the theatrical version. There's almost no dialogue, so they aren't necessary.
posted by transient at 9:23 AM on June 4, 2004

Also, be warned: the copy I got from Netflix had very spotty subtitles. They cut out entirely after the first scene.

When I saw it in the theatre there weren't any subtitles after the first scene. It didn't seem to be a problem for the three elementary age boys sitting in front of us who laughed their heads off through the whole thing. They were still talking about the frogs ("ewww gross") out on the sidewalk.
posted by anastasiav at 1:53 PM on June 4, 2004

IIRC, French-Canadian-Belgian
posted by Utilitaritron at 3:12 PM on June 4, 2004

there was, as i recall, some biological function humor that i would have considered inappropriate for mine when she was five, but i tend to be a little conservative that way (the josephine baker boobs, on the other hand wouldn't have bothered me). that said, i think it's completely appropriate for her now she's eight. but echoing most of the comments, she would be bored. (alas, she's more literal than imaginative)

and saying "they won't get it" is very much underrating a 5 and 8 year old child. they won't be able to *articulate* it, but if either is sensitive to violence, she might be disturbed by either the violence by the french-canadian mob or against the frogs. kids don't often know what they're getting, they just know that something we grown-ups think is flying right over their little fluff-filled heads is actually confusing the hell out of them.
posted by crush-onastick at 4:30 PM on June 4, 2004

If possible, let us know how the family viewing went!
posted by gluechunk at 10:20 PM on June 4, 2004

Response by poster: Tanks All! Sounds like a strange film.. the kids will probably lose attention and wander off leaving a few family asleep and a few to make it through to the end. I'll try to post a review of the view.
posted by stbalbach at 11:08 PM on June 4, 2004