The One and Only Ivan 2020
During Covid, Disney has been releasing some of their lesser new works on Disney+ instead of postponing them for a future theatrical release. With the exception of Hamilton, these movies probably wouldn’t have had a big box office anyway and The One and Only Ivan falls into that camp. This movie is maybe a little too sweet and touching for its own good, but it works surprisingly well. It is “inspired by true events,” which is just one step above “any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental.” You figure that out right away when the animals in the movie start talking to each other. However, I do remember the real life Ivan, so I definitely wanted to see the movie. Actually the movie is based on a children’s book of the same name, which I never read, but won the Newberry Medal, which is a pretty good thing. The voice cast is surprisingly good, but in roles that aren’t necessarily that demanding. Ivan is voiced by Sam Rockwell, who I couldn’t really place, nor Angelina Jolie as an elephant matriarch, but Helen Mirren as a poodle and Danny DeVito as a mutt are unmistakable. The animals aren’t mistreated or unappreciated at their circus in the middle of a rundown mall, but they know there is something more. Their conversations are funny in a mundane way, kind of like workplace humor, and the CGI animals are very well realized (so much better than the awful dog in Call of the Wild). DeVito’s mutt is a great character. There is a nice relationship between the humans and animals, but also among the animals. A lot of the humor just comes from the animals interacting, some of it kind of silly, but mostly enjoyable. There are a few sad moments, but a big payoff at the end that should bring tears. Maybe this has been done before, but the animals seem very realistic (Ivan’s face is very expressive), the writing is decent, and the performances are good. This is a nice Disney movie for animal lovers.
Written: 28 Aug 2020