184. Maya The Bee 3: The Golden Orb; movie review

 

 

MAYA THE BEE 3: THE GOLDEN ORB

Cert PG

88 mins

BBFC advice: Contains mild bad language

The cinemas are open again!

And this will be a huge relief to parents of the under-fives, wondering what to do on rainy days.

A year has passed in which children have been denied the wonder of the big screen and it could be that their first socially-distanced outing to the pictures will be to see Maya The Bee.

She's back with the third instalment of the movie franchise which combines adventure and a fair few moral messages.

Ironically, it is centred on its two key characters, Maya (voiced by Coco Jack Gillies) and her best friend Willi (Benson Jack Anthony) breaking out of winter hibernation.

Yes, we all know that feeling painfully well.

I digress. 

Maya causes chaos when she tries to wake her fellow bees ahead of schedule and overhears that her mischief may cause her and Willi, her reluctant accomplice, to be split up.

So, when she gets a chance to do a good deed she seizes upon it so they can prove themselves.

Maya and The Golden Orb has a fast pace which little ones will love and heroes in the shape of the bees and their ant pals Arnie (David Collins) and Barney (Shane Dundas).

Then there is the charm of a baby princess who Maya and Willi are charged with returning to her home.

They are up against the pantomime villains - beetle siblings, voiced by Frances Berry and Christian Charisiou.

The bedrock of the movie is friendship but thrown into the mix is doing what is right, trust and seeing how enemies can find common ground.

And, of course, there are some toe-tapping songs to break things up.

With echoes of Antz, A Bugs Life and Bee Movie, Noel Cleary's Maya The Bee: The Golden Orb will please young kids and will allow adults to unwind.

It won't be the best film of the summer but it could be an acceptable first.

Reasons to watch: Fun tale with moral messages

Reasons to avoid: No laughs for the adults

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know?  Maya the Bee is loosely based on the 1975 anime Maya the Honey Bee as well as indirectly the German children's book The Adventures of Maya the Bee by Waldemar Bonsels from 1912.

The final word. Coco Jack Gillies: "My favourite part doing the voice of Maya is how youthful she is. Being 16, Maya is a nice dextox who reminds me that it's good to be curious and ask questions. She is so full of wonder." Girl.com.au

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