Société Secrète de la Royauté

...it would look something like this. It's difficult to be too harsh about this film; it is inoffensive, tries hard and means well. However, it falls short in every aspect of film making: acting, directing, writing, story, location, etc. This movie lived down to all of my expectations, but I didn't hate it.

The movie is ostensible set in a small kingdom between Germany and Denmark. This will no doubt surprise anybody from either of these countries, as will the fact that said small kingdom looks suspiciously like Vancouver, or perhaps Toronto, and everybody looks and speaks like they just fell out of an American high school movie.

Note to Disney: No place in Europe looks like this.

Leaving the setting aside, it asks us to root for a bunch of second rate royals who discover they have super powers. Like they don't already have enough privilege in life. This takes a lot of imagination to stomach.

Luckily the movie is squarely aimed at 9 year old girls, and it largely succeeds in providing entertainment to that audience. But steer well clear if you're after anything you might enjoy as an adult.

This movie follows what has been a very successful formula for Disney. The cast of characters are very familiar to any who have seen Disney's made-for-cable movies, and there is no depth to any of them. The cast is ethnically diverse, so that no one could possibly be offended. The story is thin and forgettable. The "big surprise" in the movie was quite predictable. In short, for most adults this is a waste of time.

However, if you know a girl somewhere between ten and sixteen years old, she might well appreciate seeing it, and perhaps boys of a similar age as well. It is empowering, as Disney movies tend to be. The message, while conveyed by so many other movies in better ways, is a good one. So if you have a child, consider it. If you are an adult fan of superhero movies, pass on this for a rerun of something you like.

I do not understand all of these bad reviews by what seem to be adults?? Just an FYI the movie isn't meant for you. My KIDS, ages 8 and 12, both liked it. I am trying to figure out why people, especially those that the movie is not geared towards are taking issue with an obvious fantasy movie about kids with super powers and calling it unrealistic. I am just going to point out if a movie has anyone with super powers in a movie it is unrealistic, it is just for fun. I have seen many movies based on comic books...Hello Marvel movies and other movies based in fiction and not reality....but when I watch them I don't ask if Captain America or Black Panther are realistic, because they are not in the real world, they are in a movie and they are darn entertaining to watch. Now, back to the real question for which the rating should be given, is it entertaining for the audience it is intended for? The answer is YES. Was I, as an adult able to guess what would more than likely happen knowing the general kid movie formula, yes, but the the movie is not intended for people in their late 30's/early 40's. It was a nice movie to curl up as a family and watch together, my kids enjoyment and our together time is really all I want out of a movie like this.

This is classic Disney family fare taking the princess theme in a different direction. There is plenty of excitement for everyone here. In a world where cynicism rules this movie is actually a breath of fresh air.