If you’re the owner of a primary school age child and a Netflix subscription, you’re probably already familiar with Ladybug & Cat Noir, the animated French series about a teenage girl who saves Paris as her alter ego, the superhero Ladybug. Now comes this straight-to-Netflix movie, released in France simply as Miraculous, le Film (proof that in French everything, even kids TV, sounds better). Its target audience is four to 10-year-olds, but the unusually high quotient of teen romance here might put you off watching with little ones – though to be fair, it’s drippy rather than racy.
Cristina Vee Valenzuela voices Marinette, the awkward school klutz who is completely lacking in confidence until one night, a wise old man gives her a “miraculous” – a shiny jewel that bestows her with superpowers. At the same time, her high school crush Adrien becomes Cat Noir. The two teenage heroes must work together to save the French capital; though neither of them has a clue about the other’s true identity.
Things get très complicated when Adrien falls in love with Cat Noir – not realising that she is actually Marinette. Which means the pair have a thing for each other, but each believes their love is unrequited. Obviously, this hits the wall of implausibility that kids who love superheroes must learn to live with: the fact that putting on an eyemask doesn’t actually disguise a person’s identity. Adrien should instantly recognise Ladybug as Marinette by her blue hair.
Anyway, the action zips along. Paris looks gorgeous but takes a hammering as chases crash through Notre Dame’s stained glass windows and smash the Eiffel Tower to smithereens. Unbeknownst to the heroes, their arch nemesis Hawkmoth is actually Adrien’s dad, a world-famous fashion designer; his squad of supervillains include a mime artist (it really doesn’t get more French than that). Still, with Ladybug doing as much mooning as superheroing the girl power message feels more afterthought than heartfelt.
• Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie is released on 28 July on Netflix.
