Roll up! Roll up! And see The One and Only Ivan! – That’s what I’ve done. That’s what I’m doing right now. And I’m going to talk about it. Let’s go!
Ivan is a gorilla, and the final act in the Big Top Mall animal circus show, run by Mack (Bryan Cranston). When left alone, Ivan likes to talk to his pals – Bob the stray dog, and Stella the elephant, to name a few of the animals that make-up the backstage of Mack’s circus menagerie. The show is struggling; attendance is low, and Mack introduces a baby elephant to the act, Ruby, to hopefully bring in crowds. Julia (Ariana Greenblatt), daughter of the animal-hand, also gives Ivan some old crayons, where Ivan discovers he can draw. But Ivan is over the circus, and plans to leave with Ruby, to take her back to the wild. The movie is directed by Thea Sharrock, and features voicework from Sam Rockwell, Danny DeVito, Brooklyn Prince, Angelina Jolie, Helen Mirren, Chaka Khan, Ron Funches and Mike White.
On second thoughts, I’m recommending you pass on The One and Only Ivan – I tuned out early, and only a few scenes brought me back. If you’re waiting for an inciting incident to lead the movie somewhere exciting, prepare to be disappointed. I can’t believe heavyweight talent like Helen Mirren and Angelina Jolie took time out of their days to provide voices for this movie when they only have about three lines each! Ivan shows very early indication that he can draw, and I was waiting for the circus handlers to realise so we could celebrate his accomplishments together and save the circus, but that doesn’t happen. I had no time for Bob; that pup offers next to nothing to the story, considering he takes up a fair chunk of it. Apparently, there is a sequel to the book this is based off called The One and Only Bob, so oh boy, I can’t wait for that. Nothing exciting happens at all. There’s one scene in particular, where the height of the tension is the revelation that Mack is wearing a toupee… facepalm. I suppose parents can plonk their little ones in front of the TV for a giggle at the talking gorilla, and maybe the swelling score will put them to sleep; apart from that, I don’t know who else will like this movie, it’s so boring. Kids, if you want to watch a great movie where animals in captivity dream of escaping into the wild, ask Mummy and Daddy to let you see Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
It’s honestly sad watching Mack’s circus fail, and seeing Ivan want to run away from him, especially since they’ve been together forever and Mack has shown Ivan nothing but love. Mack lost his wife for Ivan. A reporter is given an exclusive story on the show, and states that Ivan’s concluding painting is “clearly a sign that Ivan wants to be free” – why, because a five-year-old you just met told you how a gorilla thinks? I know the media can get an unjustifiable amount of hate for hack reporting, but jeez, let’s hope that’s not art imitating life right there. The benefit of The One and Only Ivan being on Disney+ is I could go back over Ivan and Mack’s goodbye just to confirm what I’m going to say next; the movie totally misses the mark on their relationship. Mack talks about the good times they’ve shared and how he is going to miss Ivan, without saying how he’s only just realised how unfair it’s been to not let Ivan roam the wild. Mack is not an awful guy at all, so without him wanting to do right by Ivan, his livelihood is basically getting destroyed without a silver lining. How did the two-minute slideshow at the end of the film, relaying the life of the real Ivan, do a better job of capturing the inspirational tale than a feature-length Disney film?
I wonder if the movie might’ve made for a more pulsating animated feature – I see potential. The CGI animals look real, and unless you’re wanting to do something with them, that realism doesn’t add anything to the production. I mean, if I wanted to see an elephant or a gorilla standing in an enclosure, I’d much rather go to the zoo. Animation has always been the format to tell human stories through other creatures, and I don’t think that should change. I see how Star Wars: The Force Awakens celebrated a return to real special effects over CGI, and I think we’re about ready to revalue hand-drawn animation again, whilst even computer animation would have been better than this live-action hybrid. I reckon cut the Bryan Cranston role back, show Ivan’s story in chronological order and have a bit more fun with it. Ivan and Ruby; what an unlikely duo. I don’t even think the lack of action would have stifled this movie if it was animated, because it could have been dreamy, and let the animals’ interaction be the focus. The story the way it is, reminded of similarities in Disney Vault classics like Dumbo, Tarzan and Lady and the Tramp.
I was hoping The One and Only Ivan would wash out the terrible taste in my mouth left from Dolittle, another movie this year with talking animals, but the movie didn’t even come close. Apparently, this was set for a cinematic release if not for COVID-19, and I can just imagine myself twiddling my thumbs in the theatre waiting for this movie to be over; I saved some money here. It’s funny – the pessimism I had for Magic Camp on Disney+, I should have directed into The One and Only Ivan instead; I clearly knew there was a stinker in our midst, but my detection was skewed. I don’t enjoy shitting on movies, as people work hard and nobody sets out to make a bad movie, but I’ve got to be honest, and call it as I see it; The One and Only Ivan is a complete waste of time.
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