the king and i movie review

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Parents' guide to, the king and i.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 7 Reviews
• Kids Say 7 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Heather Boerner , based on child development research. How do we rate?

A boisterous, big-costumed classic musical.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this film characterizes the ancient Asian culture of Siam (now Thailand) as backward and sexist. The king has dozens of wives and hundreds of children, which may bewilder kids. Also confusing, the roles of the main Thai characters are played by white and Latino Americans. But the story's…

Why Age 8+?

The king passes out cigars, though no one smokes onscreen.

Some close dancing, but no kissing or sexual behavior. There's a lot of talk, ho

The king threatens to whip a slave girl who tries to escape to be with her lover

Any Positive Content?

There's a lot of fun made of the king for his poor grasp of English; he's made i

Anna, the teacher, is intelligent, forthright, and stands up to the king. The ki

Gives a flavor of the culture of Siam (Thailand).

Parents need to know that this film characterizes the ancient Asian culture of Siam (now Thailand) as backward and sexist. The king has dozens of wives and hundreds of children, which may bewilder kids. Also confusing, the roles of the main Thai characters are played by white and Latino Americans. But the story's music and enchanting characters are perfect for kids, who are likely to see the king's poor grasp of English as endearing and fun. But older children and adults may find the portrayal of the king racist.

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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Some close dancing, but no kissing or sexual behavior. There's a lot of talk, however, about women being "made to please men" and the king has multiple wives. When the Thai ladies are dressed up in European gowns, they "wear practically no undergarments," prompting them, in a moment of shock, to hike their dresses and flash English men. But nothing is seen on screen.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

The king threatens to whip a slave girl who tries to escape to be with her lover. Talk of someone drowning.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

There's a lot of fun made of the king for his poor grasp of English; he's made into a fool. While the film is set in the country know known as Thailand, none of the primary characters is Asian. The king is also sexist, thinking women more "lowly" than men in general, and certainly much lower than him. Many of the songs teach life lessons, like how to deal with fear and how to learn about a new culture.

Positive Role Models

Anna, the teacher, is intelligent, forthright, and stands up to the king. The king is portrayed as stubborn and sexist. The king has dozens of wives and hundreds of children, which may bewilder kids.

Educational Value

Where to watch, videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (7)
• Kids say (7)

Based on 7 parent reviews

Good excerpt for one or two scenes that might be deemed inappropriate by some

What's the story.

The classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical is based on Margaret Langdon's 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam , which itself is based on the true story of Anna Leonowens ( Deborah Kerr ), an English woman in the 1800s who, after her husband dies, takes a job as teacher to the multitude of children sired by the King of Siam, King Mongkut. Anna finds when she arrives that the job and her new life are both more wonderful and more frustrating than she could have imagined. The children of the palace are delightful and sweet, and the king (played by Yul Brynner , who won an Academy Award for the role) is enchanting and progressive, but also very sexist. She's confronted with the king's dozens of wives as well as European beliefs that the king, who wants to make his reign "modern" and "scientific," is a barbarian. Can she take care of herself, her young son, and her charges, and help the king keep his kingdom?

Is It Any Good?

Like Breakfast at Tiffany's and Flower Drum Song , THE KING AND I is a classic movie with legions of followers and great music. But it's also, like those films, fraught with racial misrepresentation that may make some viewers uncomfortable. The real treat of this film is the charm of Brynner's king and the songs. The songs! Children will love "Getting to Know You" and "Whistle a Happy Tune." Romantics will love "Shall We Dance." And all viewers will likely be mesmerized by the performance of Uncle Tom's Cabin .

To a young child, the king's silly sayings -- like his dramatic "etcetera, etcetera, etcetera" -- and his odd dictated letter offering to send the U.S. some elephants as beasts of burden, are endearing and fun. But adults may be disturbed by how inept and parochial this king appears. Add to that the fact that none of the primary Asian characters are played by Asian actors, and you have a recipe for racial misrepresentation. Like Flower Drum Song and Mickey Rooney 's appalling Asian caricature in Breakfast at Tiffany's , the Asian characters here are shown as meek, silly, and absurd. Anna is a remarkably strong woman for the 1860s, which makes for some great verbal sparring between her and the king. But the idea of a white woman coming into a foreign country and "civilizing" them -- while it sure goes with the thinking of the time period -- is disturbing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Thai history and culture. Were the clothes, dance styles, and culture in the movie true to the culture?

What do you think about movies that don't cast Asian actors in Asian roles? Can you think of other examples of that happening?

Do you think you could play the role of someone of a different race fairly? Do you think the actors in this film were fair?

Movie Details

• In theaters : June 29, 1956
• On DVD or streaming : November 7, 2006
• Cast : Deborah Kerr , Rita Moreno , Yul Brynner
• Director : Walter Lang
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Latino actors
• Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
• Genre : Musical
• Topics : Friendship , Music and Sing-Along
• Run time : 133 minutes
• MPAA rating : G
• Last updated : August 12, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

My Fair Lady

The Sound of Music

Musicals for kids, dance movies, related topics.

• Music and Sing-Along

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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The King and I

Where to watch.

Watch The King and I with a subscription on Prime Video, rent on Fandango at Home, or buy on Fandango at Home.

What to Know

Charmless and shoddily animated, The King and I pales in comparison to its classic namesake in every way.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Richard Rich

Miranda Richardson

Anna Leonowens

Christiane Noll

Anna Leonowens (singing)

Martin Vidnovic

The King of Siam

Ian Richardson

The Kralahome

Darrell Hammond

Master Little

More Like This

• Cast & crew

User reviews

The King and I

My goodness this is awful..

• Avwillfan89
• Apr 22, 2020

If you have seen the 1956 version, you will be disappointed!

• TheLittleSongbird
• Feb 10, 2009

What a Waste of Time and Money

• Mar 24, 1999

A shameless butchering of a great classic

• Mar 17, 1999

pointless, silly, dumbed-down remake

• Jun 25, 2004
• Jul 2, 1999

Crayola Classics

• Jan 30, 2002

Is this a joke?

• Mar 23, 1999
• Sep 1, 2003
• caribiner23
• Apr 11, 1999
• amyontheend
• Apr 4, 1999

Praising this very well beautiful animation work

• kristinadkittensworth
• May 24, 2015

Don't blame on them because they're just playing it safe.

• parttimelover
• Jun 8, 2006

Enjoyable-enough film with great songs!

• Apr 13, 2011

Richard Washington on The King and I (1999): What went wrong?

• pirate1_power
• Aug 14, 2000

Awful adaptation of The King and I

• kill-the-boxtrolls
• Nov 15, 2010

What were they thinking

• Aug 23, 2024

Light-hearted musical sequences, but the rest's a bore.

• Jul 22, 1999

Total Plot Change

Should have been done by disney not some other studio trying to imitate disney.

• IndigoDragoness
• Apr 13, 2012
• RosanaBotafogo
• Jul 17, 2021

Literally a nightmare

• MissSimonetta
• Aug 4, 2014

Childhood MEMORIES!

• sierraionegarske
• Aug 21, 2019

Cute...got a bad rap!

• Mar 7, 2003

What was the target audience for this movie?

• SusieSalmonLikeTheFish
• Feb 20, 2015

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