The One and Only Ivan

Just watched this with my 8 yo girls and they (and I) loved it. Based on a true story of a gorilla that can paint, leaves you with a smile.

Nice novie to watch witb your kids. Monkey is looking for his freedom.

Nothing all that fresh, but it certainly made me feel for the characters so that's always a big plus.

The cast elevate the film, for sure! Bryan Cranston, no matter the nature of any role he plays, is always enjoyable and/or likeable. He brings heart as Mack, as do Sam Rockwell (Ivan) and Angelina Jolie (Stella). I liked Danny DeVito as Bob, while Ariana Greenblatt portrays the wholesome Julia well.

The (true) premise is something we've all seen before, as such you're just waiting for the 'penny to drop' so the film can get going - once that happens onscreen events do improve, culminating in a very touching end. 'The One and Only Ivan' is ideal for family viewing, I'd say.

A film with a large target. From animal lovers, to kids and fans of the actors. A film, a touching one, who did not look for impress< its simplicity and the fine hybrid action are the basic virtues defining it. Each proposing more questions, as support of fair reflection about rights of animals , about friendship, about business . The balance is a good point too. But, maybe, the best thing is the familiarity of story. You know it . You know Ivan, grace to documentaries, articles or news. But the film is not remember, only a simple story telling about small things who are, together, always, in each period, real, real significant.

As a teen I would not recommend this film to another teen or adult. Disney is kind of just doing the same thing they always do (which they do well don't get me wrong). The book on the other hand, while geared toward younger audiences is something I could get behind anytime at all. What made the book so special was the way Applegate was able to write from the perspective of a gorilla. It was brilliant and I now realize that there was little hope of a movie being able to achieve the same thing. I watched this film because it was nominated for best visual effects this year and I was not disappointed on that front at all. Overall this is a good film to watch with a young person unfamiliar with the ways of Disney, but certainly read the book first.