Finding a nice balance between fun and learning, Butterfly Tale chronicles the animated adventure of a flutter of monarch butterflies as they migrate to Mexico.

Adamant teen Patrick (voiced by Aladdin’s Mena Massoud) wants to be part of the trip, but his mother (still reeling from when a flock of birds interrupted a previous migration) advises Patrick to stay sheltered at home – at least, until both of his wings fully develop. Meanwhile, plucky Jennifer (voiced by She-Hulk’s Tatiana Maslany) takes pride in collecting and transporting milkweed for the swarm’s rations. She plays down her fear of heights, but is aware enough to know that she may not be able to keep up the charade. 

Patrick, and his similarly underdeveloped caterpillar pal Marty (amusingly voiced by Philip Wolf), sneak their way into the migration and are soon discovered, but Butterfly Tale isn’t about this issue. Instead the kids are brought on to experience the trip (under the supervision of their peer Jennifer). Together as a swarm, the monarchs must recoordinate when their conditions change; such as open fields being taken away for buildings, birds looking to reunite with the butterflies who are hungry for food and revenge, and a tornado splitting up Patrick’s mom from the group.

Despite sounding scattered, Butterfly Tale embraces its loose format; presenting the essentials of a road movie with chill leisure thanks to filmmaker Sophie Roy (making a strong impression with her directorial debut), and screenwriters Heidi Foss and Lienne Sawatsky (both experienced with children’s entertainment). Each story has positive themes of acceptance and individuality, as well as teaching young viewers about how to cooperate and problem solve. The storytelling is matched perfectly with perspective-shifting animation. Produced by a team of crack animators and visual effect artists, Butterfly Tale presents lovely scenery which are then narrowed down to create different environments within. These visual tricks are akin to Dreamworks’ cult flick Antz, but Butterfly Tale offers much more variety.

Families should fly towards Butterfly Tale. Not only does the Canadian-German co-production offer lots of entertainment and a good string of giggles, but it also provides well-paced and beautifully animated wholesomeness.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie