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Movie -- 2022 -- Netflix
My Father's Dragon
Elmer and his mum lose their candy shop and move to a city that does not want a second try. A talking cat sends him to Wild Island for a dragon. The dragon is Boris: small, striped, broken wing, scared of water and fire. A gorilla has been making him lift the island so it will not sink.
Notes are based on public reviews and published descriptions. Timestamps are approximate. Not yet checked against Netflix AU.
Age
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
- Not suitable
- Parental guidance
- Ok
GentleGuide scale for sensitive kids. Not an ACCM or Classification Board rating.
About this title
- Classification
- PG
- Length
- 99 minutes
- Consumer advice
- Mild violence, themes, fantasy themes, scary scenes
Not affiliated with Netflix, Disney+, Stan, or ABC iView.
Before you press play
The candy shop closes, and Elmer and his mum move to a city with no room for a second try. A talking cat at the docks sends him to Wild Island to fetch a dragon. Boris is not a legend when they meet him: small, striped, a broken wing, scared of water and of fire. A gorilla named Saiwa has been making Boris lift the island so nobody drowns. Funny animals. Also a boy who ran away from his mum.
- Losing a shop and moving
- Running away from mum
- A dragon who cannot fly yet
- An island that is sinking
- A gorilla in charge
- Going home
What may feel big
The shop boards up and they leave town. Money runs out in the city and mum says the new shop is a lost cause. Elmer shouts and runs to the docks. On the island he cuts Boris free; the wing is already hurt. A crocodile, a chase with Saiwa's monkeys, Elmer's pack catching on a root so he nearly drowns. They find a tortoise's empty shell. A dark flooded pit where something big is moving -- it is a mother rhino and her baby, stuck. Later Boris flies into fire at the summit. Elmer gets back to mum.
4-6. Four is below this scale. Five and six need you for the row with mum, the gorilla, the water, and the pit. The drawings are soft. A child leaving home still lands.
7-9. A fair try with someone beside them. Pause for the drowning and the dark pit. The gorilla is large, not a jump-scare monster.
10-12. They can follow a boy who wanted a dragon for money and then had to be a friend. The island panic is the skip if sinking-world stories sit badly.
Triggers in this guide
Counts are how often that theme shows up in the notes -- not when it happens.
- Sadness 2
- Separation 1
- Scary Imagery 2
- Peril 3
If you have not watched it yet
Should I sit with them?
We would not put this on for a child under 5 and leave the room. Plan to sit with them at least until 8. After that, many families can watch with a grown-up nearby rather than on the couch. The notes above say what happens. You know your child. This is not medical advice.