The Thief Lord is a novel written by Cornelia Funke and was directed by Richard Claus in its 2006 movie adaptation. The story follows the two main characters, Prosper and Bo, as they flee their aunt and uncle to live in Venice. There, they meet the Thief Lord, who takes the boys under his wing and into his posse of homeless, orphan friends. The group must avoid a detective hired by Prosper and Bo’s aunt and uncle while they attempt the biggest heist they’ve ever attempted and uncover the mysterious secrets of the city of Venice.

Previous students of Mrs. Bing may know of The Thief Lord from her showing it in junior high. Don’t be fooled by a seemingly low-quality production quality and silly plotline, though, because The Thief Lord is a real gem of a movie.

The movie’s central message to the watcher is that people are inherently good and that chosen family is just as important as blood family. After losing their mother and running away from their aunt and uncle, Prosper and Bo find a family with the group of orphans in Venice, and throughout the story, the viewer gets to see characters make mistakes and wrong decisions even though they tend to have good intentions.  The movie exhibits a childlike wonder and carefree attitude through the eyes of the youngest character, Bo. It is through him that the watcher sees and learns about the magic in the city of Venice.

The Thief Lord is a wonderful movie for kids, teenagers, and adults alike and a definite go-to for the autumn season. The amount of twists and turns this movie dishes out definitely makes it worth the watch!