Parents' Guide to

Ferdinand

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Sweet story about compassion, nonviolence has a few scares.

Movie PG 2017 106 minutes
Ferdinand Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 86 parent reviews

Webbinaro
Webbinaro Parent of 3 and 5-year-old
May 23, 2021
age 4+

Great movie, little sad/scary but not much

I appreciate this movie didn't go very dark to end happy. It still sees some peril/sadness but nothing hard. Message of the movie is great, and a beloved book is respected though not preserved.
TimeTea
TimeTea Adult
March 30, 2021
age 6+

Parents are too soft these days!

Parents are too soft these days! Ferdinand is a beautiful film when it comes to confronting animal abuse, it is handled in an honest way that is heartbreaking but true. If a child is shown this at a young age it will not traumatise them, rather teach them about the horrors of animal abuse which all children should be taught, whilst having a laugh along the way, I took away one star out of the five for unnecessary butt jokes that no one finds funny.
See all 86 parent reviews

What's the Story?

FERDINAND (John Cena) was born to be a fighting bull, bred to compete with matadors in the Spanish bullfighting ring. But he prefers flowers and friendship to training and fighting, which disgusts and mystifies many other bulls at the farm, including tough Valiente (Bobby Cannavale). When Ferdinand discovers the true fate of fighting bulls -- death, not the glory promised by Ferdinand's powerful father (Jeremy Sisto) -- he makes a desperate bid for freedom and finds a happy home at the flower farm of Juan (Juanes) and his daughter, Nina (Lily Day). Life is beautiful on the farm until the fateful day Ferdinand is mistaken for a dangerous beast and forced into a matador battle. Can he escape without anyone getting hurt -- especially him?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (86 ):
Kids say (40 ):

Based on the 1936 children's book The Story of Ferdinand, this charming tale about a lover-not-a-fighter bull is surprisingly relevant for a vintage property. Ferdinand is a gentle giant who's -- literally -- bullied by his peers. They tell him, in not so friendly ways, that fighting is expected of him, and that his habit of admiring and sniffing flowers is suspect. It's a message that may resonate with children who struggle with traditional gender roles (and the parents who work hard to support them). When Ferdinand finally escapes the bare, brutal farm on which he was raised and gallops up a green hill strewn with flowers, we see that he's found a place where he can be himself, accepted and appreciated just as he is. It's positively beautiful, and sensitive viewers may find themselves welling up while wishing every person who doesn't feel like they fit in could find a place just like that.

For their part, young viewers will find Ferdinand lots of fun. A trio of wisecracking manic hedgehogs keeps Ferdinand on his toes during the movie's second act, and Ferdinand's "calming goat," Lupe (Kate McKinnon), is a lovable goofball in the Dory tradition. The songs are a little anemic, and there are a few plot holes (why doesn't Nina age as Ferdinand grows from calf to bull?), but the serious message this movie sends is a great one for our times, or any times. "It looks like weird is the new normal," observes one character -- and if that's not true, it ought to be.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Ferdinand's theme of following traditions vs. personal principles. Which characters in Ferdinand are role models, and which character strengths do they demonstrate?

  • Why do you think stories about young characters who run away and go through difficult experiences to find out about themselves are popular? What does Ferdinand learn? How do his experiences away from the farm help him grow? Could he have grown in the same way if he didn't return to the farm after living with Juan and Nina? Do difficult experiences teach us more than easy ones?

  • How does Ferdinand show courage by refusing to follow traditions he doesn't agree with despite criticism from other characters? How does compassion for other creatures figure into his personal code?

  • Is Ferdinand a hero? What ways would you want to be like Ferdinand, and what ways would you want to be different? How does his character defy gender stereotypes? Why is it important for kids to see a wide range of behavior from both genders in the media they consume?

  • Did you think any parts of the movie were scary? How much scary stuff can young kids handle? Who do you think is the ideal audience for this movie? Why?

Movie Details

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