Vic the Viking and the Magic Sword Parent Guide

Vic (Declan Miele-Howell) is the son of the Viking Chief of Flake, Halvar (David Schaal) but he doesn’t fit in very well. He’s too small and weak for most Viking activities, but what he lacks in ferocity he makes up for in ingenuity. After a battle with enemy pirates, the Chief obtains a magical sword that can turn things to gold. In his excitement, Halvar accidently turns his beloved wife, Ylva (Eva Savage) into gold. Desperate to restore her, Vic, Halvar, and their Viking crew set off on a daring adventure to the gates of Asgard.

Vic the Viking and the Magic Sword reminds me of classic Looney Tunes cartoons, and I mean that in the best way possible. The animation is over-the-top cartoonish, with exaggerated body movements and facial expressions, visual gags, and complete denial of the laws of physics. The Vikings even perform a Bugs Bunny-esque caper that involves dressing like women and dancing to distract some pirates. The humor fluctuates between plain silliness and clever writing. Yes, this is a movie aimed at young children, and you have to have that perspective going in, but if you can get past that, it’s a lot of fun. It certainly compares favorably to the many, many kids’ movies that are pure torture for parents to watch.

The basic premise of the film is a bit of a rip off of How to Train Your Dragon: a Viking chief has a son who is small and weak and doesn’t fit in with the other Vikings but has his own strengths. Aside from that resemblance, Vic is its own production. The story is a perfect vehicle for teaching children lessons about acceptance, individuality, family, and thinking outside the box. My preschooler greatly enjoyed the movie, mostly because it is quite silly, but he also commented on how much the family loved each other and how Vic used his brain to come up with solutions to obstacles.

As far as content is concerned, there is a fair amount of cartoon violence, but nothing beyond what you would see in most media aimed at children. There are no real injuries, pain, or blood, and most of the violence is far outside the realm of reality. Overall, I think Vic the Viking is a fun, silly, heartwarming film that young audiences will enjoy, and their parents might too.