The One and Only Ivan (2020)

Erbland finds the film a smart, touching family feature that slips serious ideas into a children’s story. She praises the voice performances and visual effects, while noting the third act’s uneven pacing and shifting tone.

Walsh finds the film sweet, effectively moving and emotionally grounded, despite its familiar Disney story. She especially praises the computer-generated animals’ expressive performances, which blend believable animal movement with human emotion.

Gleiberman finds the film familiar but unexpectedly soulful and moving, praising its quiet, old-fashioned storytelling. He singles out Ivan’s expressive digital-animated face for conveying the gorilla’s sadness.

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O'Sullivan finds the film technically brilliant but says it could have been grittier. She praises its moving, unsettling ending, while noting that it is extremely sad.

Simmonds calls the film sweet and soppy, finding it moving despite its copious artistic licence. She singles out Sam Rockwell’s charismatic voice performance as Ivan for praise.

The critic finds the film’s charitable view of animal captivity weakens its dramatic impact. They criticize its sugarcoating of the animals’ conditions and its refusal to condemn their exploitation.

Lee finds the film rushed, unremarkable and emotionally underdeveloped, a disappointing family adventure. He praises the well-matched voice cast and solid effects, but says the story gives its characters and emotional moments too little room to land.

Taylor finds the film an understated, emotionally complex family drama that is perfectly suited to its streaming release. He praises the expressive computer-generated animals, which deepen the emotional connection while avoiding the hypocrisy of using performing real animals.

The critic finds the film unexpectedly melancholy and ultimately heartwarming, though its ending turns cheesy and tear-jerking. They praise the nuanced treatment of animal exploitation, the rendered CG animals, and Bryan Cranston’s understated performance.

The critic finds the film clumsily sentimental but ultimately charming and entertaining for families. They single out Brooklyn Prince’s sweet voice performance as Ruby, while finding most of the famous cast uninspiring.

The critic finds the film merely competent and not compelling enough to entertain. He singles out the real Ivan’s story as far more fascinating than the fictionalized film.