OVP: The One and Only Ivan (2020)

Film: The One and Only Ivan (2020)

Stars: Bryan Cranston, Sam Rockwell, Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Brooklynn Prince, Chaka Khan

Director: Thea Sharrock

Oscar History: 1 nomination (Best Visual Effects)

Snap Judgment Ranking: 2/5 stars

One of the bigger problems I've had with film in 2020 (and now into 2021) is that with all movies on streaming platforms, it's been tough to understand what the hidden gems are, and what are the kinds of movies I'd catch in theaters in a normal year under a "down" week where there aren't a lot of pictures out.  You know the kinds of films-the ones that you forget a week later, but you risk going because you're bored or perhaps because you know that sometimes these films become secret favorites (every year there's at least a couple).  Without buzz, those movies start to meld into the backgrounds of your Netflix or Hulu or Disney+ queues, and you never really watch them.  One of the films that might have fallen under this category for me is The One and Only Ivan, which was originally intended to get a theatrical release in 2020, but instead become one of several projects that Disney dumped onto its streaming platform with little-to-no fanfare.  In a different world, it's easy to see this having been a sleeper hit this past summer, the kind of late-in-season movie that stir crazy parents bring their children to.  So I decided to give this a chance one lazy Sunday afternoon, wondering if I could find myself one of those sleeper favorites in a year where they've been in short supply.

(Spoilers Ahead) The movie is about a group of animals (who talk to each other, though the humans can't understand them) and perform at a circus that happens to be inside of a mall.  The big attraction is the One and Only Ivan (Rockwell), a silverback gorilla who is ferocious to the crowds but who is gentle & sweet behind the scenes.  With ticket sales dropping, the ringmaster (Cranston) brings on Ruby (Prince), a baby elephant who initially is raised by adult elephant Stella (Jolie), but Ivan after Stella dies.  Ruby doesn't like the circus, and Ivan works to gain her freedom.  They attempt to escape, but they realize they can't get to freedom in the middle of an urban environment.  Soon a different path emerges, though, when Ivan begins to paint, and locals see that Ivan has artistic skills, which are shocking in an animal, but what he paints are scenes of green-and-blue, showing that he wants to leave the circus.  A movement in the press comes about indicating that the animals should be given "freedom" (the quotes are there because they eventually end up in a zoo, not the wild), and in the end Ivan is able to reunite Ruby with her own kind, while also enjoying the green & increased space of staying at the zoo.

The movie is sweet, and very much a kids movie in the sense that children will love to see all of the animals.  It's also pretty repetitive.  The story underlines a lot of points (like the fact that the circus is failing, and that Ivan keeps being jealous of Ruby), and it's not for adults.  This is entirely for kids-not even Danny DeVito as a stray dog can help instill enough wink for the parents in the audience. The technology isn't sharp (this might make some VFX shortlists with Oscar because they go for main characters that are CGI and it's a weak year, but there's little finesse here), and this is forgettable.

But it's still an intriguing film in one aspect.  While it would be better if it was higher-quality, it's admirable that Disney is making a message picture that really tries to introduce environmentalism to a group of younger children.  This is actually something they've done a lot of recently (not just Ivan but also Moana and Frozen), bringing climate change & conservation to younger audiences.  If this helps in that effort, it would be cool to know that a film inspired young zoologists & advocates to start caring at a young age (this isn't specious-TV shows like Flipper are oftentimes cited for an increased fascination in marine biology & ocean conservation).  But as a movie itself, it's more forgettable than gem.