MY FATHER’S DRAGON
A colorful family adventure about kindness, courage, and facing reality.
Should You Watch It?
Netflix’s My Father’s Dragon is a wonderfully animated family adventure with a colorful, storybook-like world. Its young hero learns about truth, generosity, kindness, courage, personal responsibility, family priorities, and the humility of admitting he does not have every answer.
The film includes a few perilous moments, including bullies attacking and robbing Elmer and attempts to recapture Boris. These moments are not presented as good. Characters also lie and act hypocritically, but the story shows that such choices create more problems than they solve.
If you want a morally uplifting adventure that your family can enjoy together, this is worth the trip.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAfter a recession forces Elmer and his single mother to leave their small-town general store for the big city of Nevergreen, Elmer searches for a way to help his family. A talking cat gives him an unusual idea: find a real dragon and bring it back to the city.
Elmer travels to Wild Island, a magical place ruled by talking creatures and threatened by constant sinking. There he meets Boris, a young dragon who dreams of becoming an “After-Dragon.” Together, they set out to help the island and its animals.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is a very good family film with a few minor flaws. The animation is colorful, unique, and almost like a storybook come to life. The pacing feels natural, and the characters are lovable and relatable.
The music and voice acting are clean, crisp, and in sync with the movie’s colorful visuals. The film’s sense of wonder is a particular strength, making the adventure feel imaginative and magical without losing its moral center.
The Worldview
The film has a strong moral worldview. It exalts truth, honesty, generosity, kindness, perseverance, courage, personal responsibility, and making family a priority. It also teaches that kindness and compassion can bring out the best in others, even during difficult times.
The story removes the pressure to have every answer. Elmer, Boris, Saiwa, and other characters discover that their ideas may not solve every problem. The film also shows that lying to protect people can cause more trouble, and that hypocrisy and dishonesty deserve rebuke.
The movie’s central lesson is that accepting reality does not mean giving up. It means facing what is true and doing the best you can with courage and kindness. Scripture likewise says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Very strong moral worldview teaches truth, honesty, generosity, kindness, perseverance, making your family s priority, personal responsibility, courage, facing reality, facing your fears, the idea that kindness and compassion even in the hard times brings the best out in others, and realizing that you don’t always have the answers
Foul Language
No obscenities, one OMG profanity and a joke about passing gas
Violence
A few instances of violence such as some bullies attack and rob the hero, hero and his dragon friend run into a mandrill and a crocodile who attack them in an attempt to recapture hero’s dragon friend, an island constantly sinks, and the environment is dangerous and causes peril
Sex
No sex
Nudity
No nudity
Alcohol Use
No alcohol use
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Light miscellaneous immorality such as a gorilla leader and the hero’s mother lie to their families to protect them from the harsh realities but rebuked, hero’s father is missing, and hero becomes a hypocrite when he lies to two friends, but it’s rebuked.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Elmer wants to solve every problem for his family and friends. When have you felt pressure to have all the answers, and how can you ask God for wisdom?
James 1:5 · Proverbs 3:5–6The story connects kindness with bringing out the best in others. What is one difficult situation in which kindness could change the way people respond?
Ephesians 4:32 · Luke 6:35Elmer learns to face reality instead of pretending everything is fine. How can honesty help a family handle hard circumstances together?
Ephesians 4:25 · Proverbs 12:22The film teaches that family wellbeing deserves priority. What does caring for your family look like in ordinary choices this week?
1 Timothy 5:8 · Philippians 2:3–4The Final Word
With its captivating animation, natural pacing, lovable characters, and morally uplifting story, My Father’s Dragon offers families a gentle adventure about courage, kindness, and accepting reality. Its minor content concerns do not outweigh its strengths. WORTH THE TRIP.
