Story
The House of Magic is an animated movie about a young abandoned cat called Thunder (voice of Murray Blue). During a storm, Thunder seeks shelter in the home of an old and retired magician called Lawrence (Doug Stone). Thunder realises that Lawrence’s house is full of strange automatons and toys. Despite Thunder’s inquisitive and compassionate nature, not all the members of the house welcome him – Maggie the Mouse and Jack the Rabbit both try to evict Thunder any way they can.
When Lawrence gets ill and has to go to hospital, his nephew grabs the opportunity to sell the house. Determined to do the right thing by the man who offered him a home, Thunder enlists the help of the house’s animals and toys. They succeed in turning the mansion into a haunted house with Thunder as their secret weapon. This scares people away and ruins the potential of a sale.
Themes
Violence
The House of Magic has some mild violence. For example:
- Various human and animal characters chase Thunder and nearly kill him.
- The magician’s nephew is allergic to cats and gets sick whenever he is near Thunder. He tries to catch Thunder and eventually tries to kill him with a gun.
- There is comical animated violence between animals and humans, resulting in minor injuries. No graphic wounds are shown.
Content that may disturb children
Under 5
In addition to the violent scenes mentioned above, The House of Magic has some scenes that could scare or disturb children under five years. For example, young children might be scared by:
- some of the characters
- the scenes where humans are scared by the toys and animals.
From 5-8
Younger children in this age group might be scared by some of the scenes mentioned above.
From 8-13
Nothing of concern
Over 13
Nothing of concern
Sexual references
None of concern
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
The House of Magic has some references to substances. For example, while on a tour of the house, a man comes out of the wine cellar with an expensive bottle of 1939 wine. He accidentally drops it on the floor.
Nudity and sexual activity
None of concern
Product placement
None of concern
Coarse language
The House of Magic has some very mild coarse language.
Ideas to discuss with your children
The House of Magic is an enjoyable and heart-warming story that follows Thunder’s journey towards becoming a member of a small and unique household.
Initially abandoned and without a home, Thunder finds strength in his friendship with Lawrence, as well as his relationships with the animals and toys living in the mansion. The movie highlights the strengths individuals have when they work together. It also shows the benefits of intergenerational friendships, and the positive lessons that you can learn from younger and older individuals. The movie is also a celebration of magic and the entertainment to be found in magic tricks.
This movie can be enjoyed by children of all ages, although those under six years might find some of the scenes scary, so we recommend parental guidance for this age group.