Story
Maya the Bee (voiced by Coco Jack Gillies) is an adventurous and fun-loving little bee who doesn’t want to follow the rules of her hive. When Maya is banished from the hive, she and her best friend Willy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) must survive outside in the meadow. With help from a friendly grasshopper named Flip (Richard Roxburgh), Maya and Willy learn that other bugs are friendly and not scary at all.
Back at the hive, the queen bee’s (Miriam Margolyes) royal jelly is stolen. The hive blames the hornets, who are the bees’ worst enemies. Maya and her new friends must save the queen and prevent the bees and the hornets from having a nasty battle.
Themes
Violence
Maya the Bee has some violence. For example:
- The bees and hornets both have soldiers who try to fight each other. The bees have sharp leaves, which they use as spears, and the hornets fire spit balls at the bees.
- Hornets yell and push each other.
- A hornet threatens Maya with his stinger.
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Bats and frogs try to attack and eat Willy and Maya.
Content that may disturb children
Under 5
In addition to the violent scenes mentioned above, Maya the Bee has some scenes that could scare or disturb children aged under five years. For example:
- The hornets, frogs and bats are scary and might be frightening. The hornets and bats have sharp teeth and are aggressive.
- During their first night out in the meadow, Maya and Willy are scared by sharp plants that try to attack them.
- The queen bee is dying, which might be upsetting for younger children.
- Maya is locked in prison and starts crying because she is alone.
- All the bugs are scared of ‘Gorgo the hedge monster’. There are some scary scenes that show him in the shadows, but he turns out to be a friendly scarecrow.
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Willy falls to the ground and looks hurt. Maya starts crying, but Willy is OK.
From 5-8
Some of the younger children in this age group might be scared by some of the scenes mentioned above.
Over 8
There is nothing of concern in Maya the Bee for children in this age group, but older children might find the movie boring.
Sexual references
None of concern
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
None of concern
Nudity and sexual activity
None of concern
Product placement
None of concern
Coarse language
There is some very mild coarse language in Maya the Bee.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Based on the television series, Maya the Bee is an enjoyable movie about learning to be yourself, standing up for your friends and accepting others for who they are.
The movie is ideal for children aged 5-10 years. Although there are some witty puns that might make adults laugh, older children will probably find this movie a little boring. There are some scary scenes, so parental guidance is recommended for children aged under six years.
This movie could give you the chance to talk with your children about:
- the importance of not treating people badly, even if they’re different
- the real-life consequences of not following the rules.