The King and the Mockingbird
Seen it?1980 | 83 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for fantasy fans and families. If you loved Frozen or Beauty and the Beast, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Feel-good.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 23 min.
- What might put you off
- No age rating on record, so check it first for young kids.
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
A young shepherdess and a chimneysweep plan to get married and escape the clutches of a tyrannical king in love with her, assisted by the guile of a cheeky mockingbird, the king's archenemy.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 87 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.8 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
1 win and 0 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Streaming release that reached a modest audience; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 34K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
Frozen
Friday Night FlickAnother animated story, and a Friday Night Flick.
Beauty and the Beast Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed family film.
The Little Mermaid Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed animated story.
Sleeping Beauty
Saturday SpecialAnother fantasy film.
Enchanted Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed family film.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Paul Grimault
- Jean MartinL’oiseau (voice)
- Renaud MarxLe ramoneur (voice)
- Agnès VialaLa bergère (voice)
- Pascal MazzottiLe roi (voice)
- Albert MédinaLe belluaire / Le haut hurleur (voice)
- Philippe DerrezLe liftier / Le speaker (voice)
- Raymond BussièresLe chef de la police (voice)
- Roger BlinL’aveugle (voice)
- Claude PiépluLe maire du palais (voice)
- Hubert DeschampsLe sentencieux (voice)