Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard (Arthur et la vengeance de Maltazard): what age is it for? 10 alone, 9 with a parent
10 alone, 9 with a parent.
Official US rating: PG; zinema says 10. In France, zinema would say 8.
Alone, or with you
The official US rating is PG; we never go below it, and here we go above: 10. Alone from 10; from 9, with an adult or by talking about it afterwards.
The sweet spot: around 10-11, when a child can hold a story that does not end inside the film they are watching, can read the hidden intentions of a villain playing a double game, and when a promise made to a friend becomes a question that concerns them. Why a sweet spot?
The trailer
What it's about
Arthur answers a distress call from Princess Selenia, who is menaced by the nefarious Maltazard.
Why 10
- Above the official rating, and whyRated PG in the US (parental guidance suggested). We say 10: This second installment is much darker than the first, and it shows: more than a quarter of the images sit in darkness, with fourteen shadowy passages that last. The villain is ugly and genuinely threatening, there are growls, blades, fire, and deaths named in the dialogue without ever being shown. The cutting is very fast, a shot every two seconds. At seven, an adult nearby is enough to get through the dark passages; at eight a child gets through them alone. A child who is uneasy in the dark will do better to wait another year.reading
- A film that lives in the darkMore than a quarter of this sequel plays out in near darkness, with fourteen stretches of shadow that last long enough to settle in. A child who is uneasy at bedtime will feel it.
- A villain who is meant to scareThe creature at the center is ugly and genuinely menacing, with growls off screen and close-ups of twisted, terrified faces. It is aimed at children, but it does not soften much.
- Blades, fire and deaths spoken ofKnives and guns are held on screen, fire and destruction sweep through a sequence, and deaths are named in the dialogue without ever being shown. Nothing graphic, but the threat is real.
- A child alone, and a pace that never restsImages of a small boy on his own in the dark recur, and the cutting is very fast, roughly a new shot every two seconds. Younger viewers can end up more rattled than caught up.
- Drinking and smoking in the backgroundAdults are seen drinking and smoking in several scenes, and drink is mentioned in the dialogue. It is background color rather than a subject, but it is visible.
What the movie brings
- A hero who goes back for a friend in trouble, without hesitating.
- A world of invention where the smallest creature still counts.
- A reminder that a promise kept can be worth the risk.
Watching it together
Before you start, say that this one is darker than the first film and that you will be right there for the night scenes.
at 10 and up
Which moment felt the scariest to you, and what made it stop being scary?
See the facts
For the same age, on zinema
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A zinema reading from September 27, 2026 · the whole movie, watched in full · the age by zinema's rules for the US and France, and a human reading · report an error · how this guide is made