‘The One and Only Ivan’ Review; Dir. Thea Sharrock (2020)

Based on the children’s book of the same name, and inspired by true events, Disney’s The One and Only Ivan tells the story of the eponymous silverback gorilla that petitioned for his freedom through his art.

“My name is Ivan”, says a gleeful looking silverback gorilla voiced by Sam Rockwell in the opening minutes of the film. He is the narrator of his own story, recounting what life as the headliner of a circus act is like – he’s content with being the centre of attention. The circus’ ensemble is made up of an assortment of animals from majestic elephant Stella (Angelina Jolie) to pampered poodle Snickers (Helen Mirren) and led by the ringmaster Mack (Bryan Cranston) – a grandiose persona with an overdone accent and a bad haircut. When the circus finds itself in a dry spell, Mack looks to new ways of spicing up the show which leads to the arrival of baby elephant Ruby (Brooklynn Prince) and the discovery of Ivan’s ability to draw.

The One and Only Ivan opens haphazardly – an indolent exposition dump that condescends to its audience. It’s easy for this kind of film to hit cruise control and pander to younger viewers because it has talking animals so it is ‘visually appealing’; initially, it seems as though that’s the way Thea Sharrock’s sophomore feature is heading. But it quickly becomes apparent that Ivan is unlike other films in the “live-action/CG hybrid featuring talking animals” sub-genre that houses the likes of Cats & Dogs, Zookeeper or Alvin and the Chipmunks. It’s a considerate endeavour underpinned with heart and sincerity. It’s one of the most charming films you’ll see this year.

At its heart, this is a story about friendship and purpose; while the protagonists may be animals, the themes and ideas that Mike White’s screenplay offers are unmistakably human; there’s a genuine sense of authenticity to the proceedings. The majority of the runtime is spent observing these characters go about their day-to-day lives and engage in conversation and, even though we’re watching a shaggy mutt voiced by Danny DeVito have a discourse about domesticity with a CG gorilla voiced by Rockwell, the world that Sharrock creates is just so rich that the dialogue and world feel so tactile. It’s involving storytelling and easy to invest in the proceedings as a result.

So when the film does go for those quieter moments, they work thanks to the three-dimensional screenplay. And The One and Only Ivan has plenty of moments that will tug on the heartstrings – a scene in which Ivan recounts his relationship with Mack is particularly tear-jerking. While there’s lots of charm to be found within Disney’s latest, make no mistake, it’s no ‘light’ watch. The cast plays this up well; Cranston, especially, as one of the few live-action performers is a scene-stealer but the voice-work from Rockwell, Jolie, DeVito, and Prince does a job going of realising the emotion well. At only 93 minutes, The One and Only Ivan can feel a little rushed in parts – especially as the story comes to a head in the finale – but it’s just such an earnest piece of work that it’s hard not to get wrapped up in it all. Sharrock’s sophomore feature is a delight – warm, sincere, and surprisingly emotional – and easily one of the more refreshing films to come out of Disney Plus.