Customer Reviews

Madeline: Lost in Paris [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

This is a disastrous episode in the Madeline chronicles. I gave this video one star only because the posting screen will not allow me to rate it zero or negative stars! The film tells the story of the orphan Madeline being kidnapped into slavery by an evil gang of lace makers. The terrifying story line left my three-year-old twin daughters blubbering in fear! Blatantly contradicts all previous storylines by orphaning Madeline. Definitely not suitable for my children, yours should approach with extreme caution.

This terribly dreadful story invloving the kidnapping of children and using hair to make lace is totally out of tune with the previous Madeline videos. Whatever positive message the writers intended just gets obliterated in the dark aspects of the story. I viewed it with my 4yr old who was physically shivering (yes!) at various points of the show. When it got too much, she told me to turn it off, something she's never done when it comes to Madeline. I watched it to the end and found it confusing that Madeline is presented here as an orphan. An earlier video, Madeline's Christmas, clearly shows her papa & mama. Overall, a dismal effort in the research, writing and presentation of a Madeline story. Very disappointing.

I watched this movie before I let my 3-year-old daughter watch it, and I'm glad I did because I don't want her to see it. It is too dark for little girls--there's kidnapping, sickness, child labor, threats, lying, and general fear. It should not be shown to young children because of its dark themes. It's true that there are redeeming themes of perserverence, cooperation, and friendship, but they are overshadowed by the overall story. Although it is for older children, I don't plan on owning it because of the negative feelings it gave *me*. You would do better to get the 25-minute videos such as "Madeline and the Bad Hat," "Madeline's Rescue," and "Madeline at the Ballet." The songs are better, the stories more uplifting, and the overall tones are easier on the tender feelings of young girls and boys.

I approached the new Disney "Madeline" film with a certain amount of reservation after reading some of the reviews on this page. Having watched the film twice now, I can only say, "what is all the fuss about?" I found the video to be an involving, sweet little story which is well-worth owning for any Madeline fans.

Let me address some specific issues. Firstly, the fact that Madeline is an orphan. True, this was not contained in the Bemelmans' books - but, being a feature film, this new offering is clearly following the live-action feature released a couple of years back by Columbia/Tri-Star, which established this fact. It does add some poignancy to the story and strengthens Madeline's relationship with Miss Clavel.

As to the "cruel, bizarre" story, the "sadistic" plot twists or the "inappropriate" shots, I found none outside what most cartoons feature - and even what the Madeline series has included to date. Indeed, the section in "Madeline and the Bad Hat" where Pepito constructs a guillotine, and the section in the live-action film where Madeline and Pepito are kidnapped by the "Idiots" and imprisoned in the back of their van (tied up, no less) are potentially more terrifying for young children than the child labour presented in this film, where the most menacing object is a pair of scissors used to cut hair. I could also list many other Disney films (Snow White, Pinocchio, Toy Story, etc) which contain more frightening material, too - an interest in the cruel aspects of human nature has always been an undercurrent of cartoons and of childhood itself.

Through her trials, Madeline is presented as a brave little girl who does not give up hope and remains loyal to her friends. She speaks out against the treatment she and other children receive - and, more importantly, does something about it. Surely these are worthwhile messages in the world we live in? (And what a joy it is to see the poor children in the lace-factory find a home and be cared for in the end.)

The songs and animation are both of a consistently high standard, though I would perhaps avoid this film (and other Madeline stories, as mentioned above) for the VERY young children - say, under four years - without parental guidance. Aside from that, "Lost In Paris" is a cute film which won't dissapoint.

As a young child, I used to love Madeline. The kindergarten teachers would read us the books at story-time, and I'd watch the cartoon at home. But this movie isn't so happy-go-lucky, in fact, I really don't think parents should let their children 6 and under watch it. It has a very dark theme. It's about how Madeline gets kidnapped, and is forced to work as a slave without pay. They work in a basement with no light, often the children go blind or get sick. You also see little children running about the city by themselves, and you see threats, inappropriate language, you even see someone's pants rip open! I was absolutely shocked when I saw this as a ten-year-old, and I kept thinking to myself, is THIS the type of film parents want to watch with their children? On the plus side, the music is very delightful, and the soundtrack is wonderful to own. But believe me, if you want to introduce a child to orphans and child labour, I suggest you have them see such films as "A Little Princess", "The Secret Garden", and Disney's "Annie". Or if you're a Madeline fan who needs something more childlike and friendly, check out the live-action Madeline movie starring Hatty Jones-that one's worth it.

This video is quite inappropriate for young viewers - even though it is rated G. And isn't that the target audience for Madeline??? The subject matter covered in this video is just TOO MUCH for young children to handle. Why even go there???

My 3 year old just adores Madeline. However, during the video, she started sobbing, which she had never done before (or since). Nightmares were also a big issue for a few nights. I now feel guilty for letting her watch the whole thing.

What kind of message is Disney sending to Madeline fans when she gets abducted by an evil, imposter Uncle & placed in a dungeon to make lace out of hair where an evil woman makes threats to cut off her hair to make RARE red lace? Sure, she gets saved by her friends in the end, but that's not until the VERY end of the movie. Yes, there's evil out there, but why not wait until they are older & can think through something like this...and let's not put Madeline as the victim! Let's let our kids stay kids a while longer...

P.S. Borrow it from the library (like I did) if you're still curious. And then buy something else!

It is shocking that movies as frightening as these are released for children. It seems that the people who created this film have no idea about children. Who comes up with this stuff? And offers it to children? Are they kidding? I returned this "G rated" video for a refund.

If you are looking for a sweet movie for the younger set, steer clear of this one! My daughter(4) and I were extremely disappointed in this movie. Disney describes this movie as "...full of spirited fun"and "...where everyone learns the true meaning of family". Imagine our dismay when Madeline is kidnapped by a man posing as her Uncle and is taken to a child-labor dungeon where sick little girls are forced to weave lace with strands cut from their own hair! My daughter continues to have nightmares from this movie. Disney really lost sight of its viewing audience this time!

The premise for this video is Madeline's kidnapping. She is forced to work in a child "slave labor" factory making lace and is threatened by the evil villan that her hair will be cut off if she does not work! I was horrified with the theme of this children's video. My four year old daughter was so upset that she cried and made me turn it off. This, as with so many other Disney videos, is not entertainment for children. The Madeline stories by Ludwig Bemelmens are true classics and this video is not is their class!

My daughter received this video for her sixth birthday, and she LOVES it!!! The animation is great, the songs and catchy (with lots of music video style animation to go with them!) the plot is engaging enough to hold her interest, and the message throughout is wonderful: There's nothing better than true friendship! As a parent, I find the movie entertaining, myself, as we feel ourselves "pulling" for our heroine Madeline, who is adorable and has a heart of gold, as usual! In the story, Madeline is "tricked" by a man pretending to be her uncle, but who in fact wants her to go to work for her in a lace factory that's run by a very evil woman (in the style of Cruella DaVille)! Kids my daughter's age seem to really get into this theme of the evil villan or villaneous trying to capture the "good guy" - and then the "good guy" getting away. Maybe this movie wouldn't be appropriate for a three year old (I don't think it was made for three year olds!) but for girls age 5 and up, it's a SUREFIRE WINNER. TRE MAGNIFIQUE!