The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
The Ugly Duckling
Animation · Comedy · 1939
An outcast duckling's search for a family to accept him leads to constant rejection before learning his true identity as a swan.
Movie details
The Ugly Duckling
“A baby duckling is shunned by his family because he is different.”
1939 Animation · Comedy 9m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.0 / 10
Community rating
An outcast duckling's search for a family to accept him leads to constant rejection before learning his true identity as a swan.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over The Ugly Duckling?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Thru the Mirror
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How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming
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The Big Bad Wolf
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Minions & More 2
Comedy · 2022
This collection of 11 short films produced by Illumination includes: From the "Despicable Me" franchise: Mower Minions (2016); Yellow Is the New Black (2018); Competition (2015); Cro Minion (2015); Binky Nelson Unpacified (2015); Panic in the Mailroom (2013). From the "Secret Life of Pets" franchise: Super Gidget (2019). From the "Sing" franchise: Eddie's Life Coach (2017); Gunter Babysits (2017). From the "Lorax" franchise: Serenade (2012); Wagon Ho! (2012).
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Hamilton Luske · Jack Cutting · Clyde Geronimi
Written by
Hans Christian Andersen · Vernon Stallings
Clarence Nash
Ducks (voice) (uncredited)
Court is in session
Put The Ugly Duckling on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.