“Kindness and Compassion Shine in this Heartfelt, Gritty Adventure”
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What You Need To Know:
BUFFALO KIDS contains a strong Christian worldview, emphasizing kindness and compassion, especially involving a disabled child. While the animation isn’t always strong, the love between the characters really shines through making this a truly remarkable, heartfelt movie. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for young children for peril, kidnapping, minor language, and cartoon action violence.
Content:
A strong Christian worldview, even though religion is not expressed or discussed outright. Christian principles are strongly displayed through the main characters including kindness, compassion, mercy, generosity, unselfish, honoring parents and rebuking evil. Even in their grief of the loss of their parents and now finding themselves in a new country, the siblings work to protect each other and a disabled child. The disabled character allows the siblings’ true hearts shine through, always ensuring that he is experiencing every part of the adventure with them as an equal. The premise relies on children overcoming many obstacles – including financial struggle, kidnapping, and basic survival, often in dangerous situations, especially given the time period. However, the story reveals a deeper truth about not underestimating a child and the depths of their wonder seeing them through disaster. The antagonists are evil with no regard for human life or suffering in pursuit of money for themselves. The children develop surprising friendships through adversity and racism towards a greater good. Throughout this adventure, the pieces begin to build together form a uniquely beautiful ending
Three obscenities, including two uses of the “D” word, one use of d*mnit. Scatological humor with characters farting and running to the bathroom
Cartoon action violence and peril as characters are often in dangerous situations, such as falling/almost falling over cliffs, running on trains, falling/almost falling. Coyote attacks in several scenes. Hand-to-hand combat and guns drawn. Bandits attack a train and take the passengers prisoner. Prisoners are whipped and threatened. The villain often talks of “getting rid of” people
No sex or sexual reference. The children shyly show romantic interest. A man and a woman flirt. A man grabs and kisses a woman while celebrating
No nudity
A man drinks from a flask and says, “it may be time to quit”, implying it is alcohol, but is later revealed to be coffee. Another man drinks from a flask
No smoking or drug use; and,
Orphaned siblings are abandoned suggesting bad role models and sowing mistrust, however there is more to be revealed. Kidnapping, including children. Bandits attack a train and take passengers prisoner. Prejudice towards Native Americans, especially when the bandits leave arrows behind after they raid the train. The villain is greedy and rude, pushing for more profit and working prisoners to death. Feeling that a disabled child is no use to him, he says to just “get rid of him,” holding no value of human life. They plan to blow up the mine and the prisoners, leaving no trace.
More Detail:
After losing their parents, two Irish siblings, Tom and Mary, arrive in New York City to meet their uncle. However, he doesn’t arrive when the ship docks. As they wait, a small white dog befriends Mary. She decides to take him in and names him Sparky, promising Tom that she will keep him until they find their uncle.
As the sun starts to set, they decide they need to find his address. However, he lives in Sacramento, California. They must take a train to go that far, so they go to Grand Central Station. However, they find they do not have any American money. They set out to make enough in the next hour, as Tom plays his fiddle and Mary performs magic tricks and begs from passersby with help from Sparky.
The time runs out, and they cannot make enough. A group of orphans boards the west-bound train. They find their miracle! They hide among the chaotic group of excited children. The conductor cannot keep track of how many, so the siblings sneak onboard. A severe, sinister-looking man with a mustache also boards the train.
Miss Eleanor pushes a disabled boy, Nick, in a wheelchair. He piques Mary’s interest, while the orphans all call him the “weird kid.” Miss Eleanor lovingly cares for him, telling Mary that he was born paralyzed and he may not be able to speak – but his eyes do. She advises Mary and Tom to travel with them for safety. Tom continues to feel annoyed by Sparky. The orphans help Tom and Mary hide and avoid the Ticket Inspector.
The train’s first stop occurs in Omaha, where several children face adoption. Nick faces a heartbreaking moment. Mary comforts him as best as she can, empathizing with his pain. Early the next morning, the train stops to refuel. As everyone else sleeps, Eleanor wakes to see they’ve stopped in a field with buffalos grazing nearby. Nick wakes and stares with wonder. She forms a risky plan to create something truly wonderful for her friend and gets Tom’s help.
However, this is where the story starts to go off the rails. They find themselves on a real adventure like those in one of Tom’s western stories, including coyote attacks, Cheyenne native Americans, the Cavalry, and even a gold mine. They must save themselves and the adults from impending doom with the help of an unlikely alliance. In the end, they make unexpected, beautiful friendships that might even mean a bit more.
BUFFALO KIDS contains a strong Christian worldview, emphasizing kindness and compassion, especially involving a disabled child. While the animation isn’t always strong, the love between the characters really shines through making this a truly remarkable, heartfelt movie. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for young children for peril, kidnapping, minor language, and cartoon action violence.
