Gabriel’s wife, Emilie, completed him. And when their son, Adrien, was born, Gabriel’s world seemed even more perfect.
But Emilie’s death fractures Gabriel’s world. So much so that he’s nearly forsaken Adrien in his grief. And so he’s searching for a way to bring his wife back to life, for his sake and for his son’s.
That’s when Gabriel comes across the Butterfly Miraculous, a strange gem that gives its user amazing power. There’s a little Kwami living inside it, a magical, fairy-like spirit. The spirit tells Gabriel that even though the Butterfly Miraculous is indeed strong, it does not have the power to overcome death.
That power resides only in the Ladybug and Cat Noir Miraculouses, two other gems that grant power, too. But those two Miraculouses only emerge whenever there’s chaos in the world.
Not a problem for Gabriel.
“If chaos is the way,” he says, “I will burn the world, and lose myself in the flames to do so!” And burn the world he does, forcing the Ladybug and Cat Noir Miraculous to seek out worthy heroes.
The Ladybug finds its way into the hands of Marinette, a shy teen who just can’t believe that anyone would consider her the hero type. After all, she can’t even stand up against her school bully, let alone a relentless supervillain.
And the Cat Noir?
That finds its way into the hands of Gabriel’s son, Adrien.
What makes Marinette a true hero is her choice to fight against evil even as her fear threatens to cripple her. We catch a glimpse of this when Marinette saves a man from being hit by a careening bus. And though she later has moments of trepidation, she powers through her anxiety to save others.
But let’s talk a little about Marinette saving that man from the bus. She performed that action not only without any superpowers but also before she even knew superpowers existed. And that’s the broader message of the film: “You don’t need a mask to be who you already are.” Marinette, the movie suggests, was a hero even before she was chosen to harness the power of the Ladybug Miraculous.
Perhaps that message can speak into the lives of viewers who might struggle with self-worth or confidence issues. Because Marinette is told that in order to make her dreams come true, she first needs to learn how to believe in herself. And while we’d caution that simply believing in yourself won’t always make your dreams come true, it can certainly help a child learn how to be more confident in who he or she is: an inherently valuable person because he or she has been made in the image of God.
We likewise get some thoughts about the value of life: “He who saves a life saves the world,” one man says. The film values marriage and family, and we’re told that teamwork is important. We also see messages about dealing with grief.
[Spoiler Warning] Let’s also take a look at Gabriel, the villain of the story. His actions are undeniably wicked, and they hurt a lot of people. They stem from his desire to bring his wife back from the grave. In essence, he doesn’t want chaos for the sake of chaos, but he sees it as the only way to bring back the one he loves. But when he inevitably discovers that it’s his own son he’s been fighting, Gabriel collapses to the ground, realizing the true damage he’s done and expressing how he lost himself in his grief.
We’re told that that magical gems called Miraculouses exist, and that they grant heroes great power to protect the world from evil.
Within each Miraculous is a Kwami, a divine spirit that embodies an abstract concept. For example, Marinette’s Miraculous contains Tikki, a Spirit of Creation. So, Marinette uses that creation power to restore collapsed buildings. Meanwhile, Adrien’s Miraculous contains Plagg, a Spirit of Destruction.
We’re also told that the most powerful Miraculous of all, the Butterfly Miraculous, contains Nooroo. When it falls into the wrong hands, this Butterfly Miraculous that spreads chaos throughout Paris, though Nooroo is actively against it (and powerless to stop it). The gem sends purplish butterflies called Akuma (Japanese for demon) into Paris, and they possess and transform those they touch. The Butterfly Miraculous also gives some of its victims special powers, including a magician who’s enabled with the power to shoot lightning that turns objects into ravenous beasts. There’s also a mime who can use invisible weapons.
As mentioned above, Miraculous also explores how to deal with grief, and it asserts that the only power stronger than death is love. And though the movie isn’t one to get too theological, I will. Because when we understand that God loved us so much that He was willing to die on the cross for our sins, and that He was resurrected and raised to new life as we will one day be if we trust in Him, then we will truly know that perfect love casts out fear, even fear of the sting of death.
Gabriel sees a vision of his deceased wife a couple times. A tour guide tells a story of gargoyles that would come to life to guard Notre Dame.
The superpowered characters (and particularly the female ones) magically transform into heroes wearing formfitting outfits.
Ladybug and Cat Noir nearly kiss on two occasions, and there are a few moments of romantic tension between the two.
While in their superpowered form, Marinette and Adrian fight some baddies, and they’re often tossed around. However, though some battles end with entire buildings collapsing, the two are generally not too hurt, and the action leans more towards slapstick.
However, the final fight results in the two being punched and beaten to exhaustion, and the city behind them is left in rubble and flame. The River Seine is transformed into a lava river. Marinette faceplants on a couple occasions. A villainous mime shoots an invisible gun and sets off explosions using invisible dynamite.
Marinette gets bullied by a girl. At one point, the girl tells Marinette that they should braid each other’s hair, and the girl says it’s so she can strangle Marinette with it. A crypt is full of bones.
God’s name is abused once. Someone says that there will be “h— to pay.” We hear phrases such as “kick your butt” or “saved my butt.”
Someone pours champagne for a woman on a dinner date.
A character exclaims that the last time she had a strange dream, she wet the bed as a result. Plagg is constantly passing gas and belching, represented onscreen by a stream of green stink clouds.
A boy is told that if he wants a girl to like him, he needs to “be someone else.” A girl is quite cruel to everyone around her.
Most of the time when we review a superhero movie, our Positive Elements section will have a note about the nobility of fighting against evil, especially for the sake of others. And while Miraculous’ rebooted origin story of its television counterpart is no different in that respect, it’s also got a lot more positive content than most films in this genre to unpack here.
There are many morals in this story set in Paris: You don’t need special powers to be a hero; life and family are intrinsically valuable; and, of course, there’s the belief that love ultimately conquers death. With regard to the latter, this film isn’t afraid to explore how we deal with the loss of a loved one.
Sure, the superhero movie is no new thing. Sure, the story might be a bit predictable and cheesy. But these days, I enjoy movies that you can just turn on and enjoy without having to worry about subversive underlying messages. Miraculous is one of them.
Yes, there are some issues for parents to consider: We hear about a parent who’s died.And the plot is based around magical gems with genie-like creatures inside that are the basis for each superhero’s powers, which is somewhat reminiscent of Eastern spirituality. Additionally, there are some moments of peril.
One more thing, just to be clear: This is only a review of the Netflix movie; you can check out our own Paul Asay’s review of the TV show here.
But if a family can guard their hearts and navigate these concerns, they’ll be in for a story that conveys more positive messages than most superhero movies do these days.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
