Stop-motion da Vinci biopic has lots of information.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a little
Da Vinci's sketches of war machines move into action, including a tank with guns and a scythed chariot that slices and chops attacking soldiers. The Reaper is depicted as an enormous, looming, hooded scary figure. Dead bodies are carried and lay on tables, with references that they'll be used for medical research. Comical fighting/wrestling between kings, with laughing afterward.
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Focuses on the imagination and inventions of Leonardo da Vinci. Depicts the creativity of the Renaissance period and the circumstances leading into it from the Middle Ages. Introduces the Ideal City concept, tying together science and nature. Historical references that aren't over explained but might motivate curious kids to learn more include the Italian Wars, the Field of Cloth of Gold, and the influence of religion in the monarchy during the era.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Da Vinci uses his imagination and curiosity to create war machines, timeless works of art, an ideal city design that pairs science and nature, and a flying contraption. He's depicted as an artist, scientist, anatomist, philosopher, engineer, and architect. Princess Margureite is an intelligent, pragmatic woman who's ahead of her time, ushering in a movement of progressive ideas through diplomacy. The French king isn't always portrayed positively, but he's open-minded to innovation and has a strong eye for art.
Positive Messages
a lot
Celebrates the power of ideas and imagination, as well as curiosity. Da Vinci searches for the meaning of life and arrives at an answer.
Diverse Representations
a little
All characters are White Europeans. Da Vinci is in his 60s here, so the movie is recognizing seniors' ability to make significant contributions, even in the face of obstacles. Princess Marguerite is a well-educated, independent thinker who's shown to have the skills to lead and might have been a better ruler than her brother, had the era's social norms been more supportive of women. At the same time, she's shown as a hands-on mother; her four daughters are always in tow, and she shares her knowledge with them.
Parents need to know that The Inventor is an animated biopic that explores the final years of inventor/artist Leonardo da Vinci's life. The business-savvy genius (voiced by Stephen Fry) agrees to invent concepts for war machines for Pope Leo X (Matt Berry), and a sketch of a scythed chariot is imagined moving into action and chopping attackers in half (there's a tank with guns, too). But kids also see how da Vinci cleverly convinces the pope not to actually build the weapons. Death, illustrated as a somewhat scary, hooded executioner with an axe, looms over da Vinci on a few occasions. At one point, Death swings the weapon, leaving the artist collapsed on the floor to represent a stroke. And although no slicing or dicing is shown, quite a bit of attention is given to da Vinci's passion for stealing and dissecting cadavers in the interests of medical research. Historical figures and events have a presence, which may inspire some kids to learn more. One who's particularly highlighted as a hero is Princess Marguerite de Navarre (Daisy Ridley), who helps usher in the Renaissance by supporting da Vinci's creation of the Ideal City. The movie celebrates curiosity and the power of ideas and imagination, but the sheer amount of information in the movie (and the mix of different animation styles) may make it hard for younger viewers to fully engage. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
As an artist, I appreciate the creatives of the film. However the content was too much for my 9 years old son to take in. The part of where the dead people was hard for him to watch even they didn't show the details in the animation.
Wanted to like this film more, but found the narrative to be messy and in spite of daVinci's accomplishments the film seemed to focus on the inconsequential. My 8 year old enjoyed it and had a lot of empathy for daVinci and how he seemed to be misunderstood, but many of the larger themes did not seem to land with him. The film felt too esoteric and too verbose. I struggled to stay interested.
What's the Story?
In THE INVENTOR, artist Leonardo da Vinci (voiced by Stephen Fry) is entrusted with creating weapons to keep Italy safe in times of war. But as his ideas begin to create friction with Pope Leo X (Matt Berry), da Vinci moves to the more welcoming French court, where he finds an intellectual ally in Princess Marguerite de Navarre (Daisy Ridley).
This animated biopic tries hard to be simple but is really quite complex. With The Inventor, writer-director-animator Jim Capobianco offers a memorable animation style -- weaving together stop-motion puppets and hand-drawn animation -- but he jams in so much information that young viewers may be a bit overwhelmed. Da Vinci's genius is inspiring, and his contraptions and inventions are definitely the kind of stuff that's likely to spark kids' interest and imagination. But the geopolitical issues can be a bit hard to follow, such as why the pope is essentially a king.
And while kids often spark to "gross," "grisly" is a different matter -- so the film's emphasis on da Vinci stealing cadavers in the dead of night feels somewhat out of place. Tweens may understand that it's part of his pioneering work in identifying anatomical functions, but it could be too much for some kids. Da Vinci's goal of identifying "the whereabouts of the human soul" and the meaning of life is also quite lofty. As the screenwriter of Ratatouille, Capobianco succeeded in making an unbelievable scenario -- a rat becoming a master chef -- wondrous. But his take on the story of one of history's most impressive minds, told in a throwback mix of Rankin-Bass-like stop-motion animation and hand-drawn images, may ultimately appeal more to adults than kids. But The Inventor succeeds in showing how da Vinci's imagination fueled innovation on many fronts and in inspiring viewers to dream big.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether they consider The Inventor's version of da Vinci a role model. How does he use curiosity and diplomacy to guide and fund his efforts? Why are these important life skills?
How is Princess Marguerite depicted? How does she demonstrate integrity and leadership from a position where she's expected to be subservient? Compare the attitudes toward women in the early 1600s versus now.
What is a polymath? What other current or historical figures demonstrate talents in a variety of areas? What are the pros and cons of putting your efforts into innovating in different areas versus focusing your energy in one field?
What do you know about the Renaissance? What makes it different from today? What does it mean when someone is called "a Renaissance man"?
If someone asked you what the meaning of life was, how would you answer?
MPAA explanation:
some thematic elements and nude art images
Last updated:
July 22, 2024
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By Tara McNamara
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