VALIANT
Heroes come in all sizes — and this wartime adventure is worth seeing.
Should You Watch It?
Yes. VALIANT is a wonderfully entertaining animated adventure with a compelling hook, an exciting mission, and a powerful ending. Its misfit pigeons display loyalty, courage, perseverance, compassion, truth, respect for authority, and self-sacrifice without turning the movie into a lecture.
The film also recognizes Christian faith. Prayer is answered, “God bless you” is spoken, and an old church becomes a refuge. One character’s con-man background makes the prayer element slightly ambivalent, but the movie’s moral direction is consistently strong.
There is some cartoon wartime violence, including pigeons being wounded and killed, along with injections and peril. Most children will focus on the adventure rather than the lessons, which is part of the film’s strength.
For a lively, values-centered movie night, WORTH THE TRIP.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESDuring World War II, England relies on homing pigeons to carry messages behind enemy lines. After one squad is lost, an undersized but brave pigeon named Valiant joins a replacement platoon filled with unlikely recruits: dimwitted muscle, an aristocrat, and a con man fleeing trouble.
When the squad is sent into battle, the pigeons must reach the French resistance and bring home an important message for the Allies. Their dangerous mission will test whether this very small team can rise to the task.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is outstanding family entertainment. The movie’s hook is compelling, and its ending is powerful, exciting, and edge-of-your-seat. The rich computer-generated animation looks much like traditional animation, while the music is particularly good.
The middle slows somewhat, possibly because some jokes are geared toward viewers who remember World War II rather than a broad audience. Still, most of the movie works extremely well, making VALIANT a tremendous entertainment for all ages.
The Worldview
VALIANT presents a very strong moral worldview with very strong Christian values. It celebrates loyalty, decency, respect for authority, perseverance, compassion, truth, self-sacrifice, helping friends, and rising to the task. Bugsy returns after abandoning his group, choosing to stand by his comrades, while Valiant places the lives of his friends and their escape above himself.
Christian faith is openly recognized. Bugsy’s prayers are answered, and he blesses other pigeons. Because Bugsy is also a con man, that answered prayer is slightly ambivalent. Still, the film later places the characters in an old church that becomes a refuge, overtly acknowledging vibrant Christian faith.
The movie’s central moral vision aligns closely with biblical virtues, especially its emphasis on self-sacrifice and putting others first. Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Very strong moral worldview with very strong Christian values, including a Church becomes a refuge and a vibrant Christian faith is overtly acknowledged, and strong themes about self-sacrifice, loyalty, rising to the task, persevering under all circumstances, helping your friends, and many other virtues; no foul language, but con man pigeon has prayer answered and says “God bless you,” so the implication is slightly ambivalent, although he turns out to be one of the heroes; cartoon action violence in wartime setting, pigeons killed by falcons, pigeon injected with truth serum, nurse injects recruits with large hypodermic needle, pigeons wounded, plane blows up, pigeons battered and bruised trying to escape falcons, threats of violence and other wartime violence; very light references to sex by con man pigeon, plus hero becomes enamored of nurse pigeon; no nudity; drinking bug juice at bar; and, mother pigeon regurgitates food for young, hero pigeon swallows message and regurgitates it at right time, con man pigeon burps on cue, and church becomes a refuge.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Valiant puts his friends’ lives and escape ahead of himself. When have you seen someone practice self-sacrifice, and what makes that difficult?
John 15:13 · Philippians 2:3–4Bugsy returns after abandoning his group. What does loyalty look like when doing the right thing becomes costly?
Proverbs 17:17 · Galatians 6:2The pigeons must persevere under pressure and rise to the task. Where do you need endurance, and how can you help a friend endure?
Romans 5:3–5 · Hebrews 10:24The film includes prayer, blessing, and refuge in a church. What does it mean to seek God’s help while also acting courageously and faithfully?
Philippians 4:6–7 · James 2:17The Final Word
VALIANT delivers exciting adventure, rich animation, strong music, and a clear celebration of courage, loyalty, faith, and self-sacrifice. With only mild content concerns, it is a wonderful choice for family viewing. WORTH THE TRIP.
