Epic (ATOM Study Guide)

Epic is a 3D animation from the producers of Ice Age and Rio that appeals to children aged 5–14.

The study guide has been written to be used by teachers and students from years Foundation to lower secondary. It is rare to be able to view and study a feature film with very young children, an opportunity that Epic presents. However, many older students will also enjoy the film and the activities are appropriate for them. As an exploration of the nature and importance of archetypal characters and themes in fairytales, it is an excellent resource for English students of all ages.

A young woman named Mary Katherine returns to live in a cabin in the woods with her father and dog after her mother dies. Her father, Professor Bomba, has long studied a group of tiny warriors who live in the forest and protect it as guardians of good. He often will go into the forest and survey them, setting up cameras and trying to film them. He has a collection of artefacts he has found, including armour and tools.

One day, the professor does not return from a hike in the forest, so Mary Katherine sets out to look for him. Hours later, she comes upon a group of glowing, falling leaves. Catching one of them, she is suddenly shrunken down. In her minuscule state, she discovers the group of warriors Professor Bomba has studied, who are known as the Leafmen. Soon she is forced to assist them in a war against forces of evil known as the Boggans and their villainous leader Mandrake, while trying to find out how to return home.

This is a modern fairytale that centres on a battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and evil, growth and decay, and life and death. The world of the Leafmen is full of fun and whimsical characters, imaginative dreamlike landscapes and balletic action.

Epic is also a modern parable about how the natural world is connected to everything alive, and when Mary Katherine joins force with the Leafmen to save their world, their battle also saves the real world.

Curriculum: English, Media, Drama, Environmental Studies, Values Education