The One and Only Ivan: A heartwarming yet tear-jerking movie
The One and Only Ivan is a story about a gorilla who performs in a mall circus. Spoilers ahead!
The One and Only Ivan is based on a true story about a silverback gorilla, Ivan (Sam Rockwell), who performs in a circus.
The circus itself is fascinating because it’s located inside a shopping mall. The ringleader, Mack (Bryan Cranston), owns several different animals, including Ivan, Stella the elephant (Angelina Jolie), Snickers the dog (Helen Mirren), and Frankie the seal (Mike White). Ivan’s been working as a ferocious gorilla for 27 years. His best friend is his neighbor Stella and a stray dog named Bob (Danny DeVito). Ivan also has a human friend, Julia (Ariana Greenblatt), who loves to draw in front of Ivan’s enclosure while her dad works. Ivan has a heart of gold and many talents.
Mack is struggling to bring in the crowds like in the past. He’s worried the acts aren’t fascinating enough anymore. He decides to bring in a new baby elephant, Ruby (Brooklyn Prince) because he thinks Ruby will bring in a larger audience.
Stella bonds with Ruby instantly and starts showing her the ropes of show business. Ruby becomes the star of the show, which leaves Ivan feeling confused since he’s used to being the leading act.
One day, Julia gifts Ivan some crayons from Julia. He starts drawing, and Julia is amazed at his talent. Eventually, Ivan performs his art instead of appearing as a ferocious, chest-beating gorilla. But this leaves the audience wondering if Ivan wants to continue a life trapped in a cage.
The One and Only Ivan is a heartwarming yet tear-jerking movie. It’s incredibly heartbreaking seeing wild animals living in cages within a mall. The story makes it seem like the animals enjoy performing for humans, but that’s also the only thing they know.
The animals don’t remember living in the wild or being outdoors. Ivan longs for freedom, and watching him see grass for the first time in 27 years is a tearful moment. Several moments bring a few laughs, but the movie’s overall tone is about animals trapped in captivity.
Mack’s character doesn’t seem to be a bad guy. He genuinely loves the animals, but at the same time, he views them as a paycheck. When the crowds shrunk, his first instinct was to bring in a baby animal since people love babies. So, even though he loves animals, he viewed them as a profit instead of seeking the best living conditions for them. I mean, Frankie is living in a tiny pool that’s closer to a hot tub than an actual pool.
The rest of the animals are fun to watch, especially for kids. Snickers is a posh poodle who gets to live inside Mack’s office. She has premium kibble and a very comfy bed that makes Bob envious. The relationship between Bob and Ivan is adorable. Bob uses Ivan’s belly as a bed, and they spend a lot of time hanging out.
Stella is a wise elephant who seems like the motherly figure of the team. Ruby is a goofy kid who is excited to hear stories and learn about the other animals. Henrietta the chicken (Chaka Khan), Murphy the rabbit (Ron Funches), and Thelma the parrot (Phillipa Soo) have smaller roles but are entertaining as well.
The true story of Ivan is heartbreaking, and so is the movie The One and Only Ivan. But this film provides a few laughs, loving moments, and gives the audience a remarkable story to remember when it comes to keeping wild animals locked in cages.
Overall, this is a safe Disney movie to watch as a family. It’s not traumatizing, but your kids may have questions about why there was a circus inside a mall.
The One and Only Ivan is streaming now on Disney Plus.