The Little Prince invites the audience to celebrate the purified wonder of youth and the dazzle of life’s invisible indispensables.
Disney doesn't have exclusive rights to wishing upon stars, just as children have no monopoly on children's stories.
The Little Prince, a delightfully and beautifully animated 3-D adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's beloved 1943 novella, is a whimsical journey in favour of following dreams and finding life's true loves – a film for young audiences as well as for the oldies who've lost their way.
We have Mackenzie Foy as the voice of an unnamed Little Girl, a chip-toothed schoolgirl under the thumb of a well-meaning but overbearing single mother (Rachel McAdams).
Mom's meticulous "life plan" is abandoned when the girl befriends an eccentric aviator neighbour whose airplane is in disrepair but whose storytelling skills are full of flight.
This character is voiced by Jeff Bridges, who in full Foghorn Leghorn form relays a fable that involves the titular Prince, an interplanetary journey and a super-wise fox.
We are reminded of films such as The Wizard of Oz and even The English Patient, but mostly the audience is invited to celebrate the purified wonder of youth and the dazzle of life's invisible indispensables.
Brad Wheeler