Fairy tales have been genuinely magical of late. First, we got the charm, humor, and animation brilliance of Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, an overwhelming critical and box office success. Then, in early 2023 we are treated to The Magician’s Elephant, helmed by first-time director Wendy Rogers. Rogers has been involved with animation and visual effects since the early 1990s. She did not have an easy task. The film, based on a book by novelist Kate DiCamillo, was first slated for adaption into a movie as far back as 2009. Julia Pistor signed on as producer, but the film sat in production hell until 2020 when Netflix stepped in to assist Pistor in getting the film done. Animal Logic was chosen to produce the animation, industry vet Martin Hynes took on the screenplay, and things happened quickly afterward.
A Simple Yet Enchanting Narrative
At its core, The Magician’s Elephant follows a timeless fairy tale structure, where the hero must complete three impossible tasks to fulfill his quest. The story revolves around ten-year-old Peter (Noah Jupe), who lives in the dreary, colorless town of Baltese, a place seemingly cursed by perpetual cloud cover.
Peter, raised by the bitter old soldier Vilna (Mandy Patinkin), has been trained to be hardened and disciplined, yet his heart remains fixated on one thing: finding his long-lost sister, Adele (Pixie Davies). Though Vilna insists she perished in the war, Peter’s unshakable belief in her survival drives him forward.
A Prophecy and an Unexpected Elephant
During a chance encounter, Peter visits a fortune teller (Natasia Demetriou), who cryptically advises him to “Follow the Elephant!”—a seemingly impossible task in a town without one. That is, until a hapless magician (Benedict Wong) accidentally conjures an elephant during a performance, tragically injuring a stage volunteer in the process.
The astonished townspeople imprison the elephant in the town hall, awaiting the king’s judgment. When Peter pleads for its release, the eccentric King (Aasif Mandvi) presents him with a daunting challenge: complete three impossible tasks, and the elephant will be his.
A Journey Fueled by Determination and Destiny
With the help of the mayor’s assistant Leo (Brian Tyree Henry) and his wife Gloria (Sian Clifford), Peter sets out to accomplish the king’s demands. Meanwhile, Adele, unaware of her brother’s quest, begins dreaming of an elephant, as if their fates are drawing closer.
Despite its straightforward plot, The Magician’s Elephant embraces classic storytelling charm, weaving themes of belief, perseverance, and destiny into its visually enchanting world.
It’s difficult to fault this script and kudos to Julia Pistor for sticking with the project for as long as she did; it was well worth the time and effort. Liberties were taken with DiCamillo’s text, but that is the same story with most film adaptations. The film’s faults lie with Animal Logic, a studio that has worked on seemingly every big release over the past few years. The elephant is beautifully rendered and amazingly realistic in its every appearance. (especially when dolled up in a psychedelic paint job!) The same cannot be said about human characters.
The opening minutes of the film feature stiff and unrealistic movements; perhaps a different team of animators worked on that introductory sequence. Much (but not all) of this is remedied as the film progresses. The human characters appear more like animated dolls with stiff, unmoving hair and large eyes. Facial expressions are more in the realm of passable than good. The exception is the magical fortune teller, who seems animated at a cut above.
Details of the production design are sometimes distracting; Baltese is supposedly under a morale-sapping curse that drains the town of color. However, in many sequences, the hues of Baltesian architecture are as colorful as before. The story is set in what appears to be some eighteenth-century timeframe, but many of the townspeople wear clothing far too modern. A scene set inside Leo and Gloria’s kitchen has what seems to be abstract art on the wall.
Visually Striking, Yet Inconsistent
While The Magician’s Elephant delivers some truly breathtaking moments, such as the elephant’s dreamlike aquatic ballet and Peter’s vertigo-inducing rooftop scene, the film’s animation lacks internal consistency. Despite this, the movie’s core message—that believing in yourself makes anything possible—remains heartfelt and impactful.
Standout Voice Performances
The film boasts a strong voice cast. Noah Jupe conveys despair, determination, and joy with authenticity, while Natasia Demetriou shines as the fortune teller, avoiding clichés. Brian Tyree Henry brings enthusiasm, and Benedict Wong continues his sorcerer streak from the MCU with a solid performance.
However, the two standout performances come from Mandy Patinkin as Vilna and Aasif Mandvi as the King. Patinkin’s portrayal is emotionally layered, balancing guilt and resolve, while Mandvi’s over-the-top, unpredictable energy makes the King a scene-stealer.
A Refreshing Throwback to Classic Storytelling
Despite its visual inconsistencies, The Magician’s Elephant remains a pleasant surprise in Netflix’s lineup. Unlike many modern animated films, it avoids cheap humor, fart jokes, and social-media gags, embracing timeless storytelling instead. It may not reinvent the wheel, but as a nostalgic, well-executed throwback, it delivers plenty of charm and heart.
Animation Scoop’s resident Movie Reviewer, Martin Goodman is a veteran writer specializing in stories about animation. He lives in Anderson, Indiana.
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