The One and Only Ivan

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Artemis Fowl was the first film exclusively released on Disney+ that I put my eyes on, and it will undoubtedly end up as one of the worst movies of 2020. From that moment on, I couldn't help but feel a bit skeptical about Disney deciding to place films initially intended for a theatrical release in their streaming service, which is the case of The One and Only Ivan. The thought "did they release it digitally because it's awful like the other one?" couldn't leave my mind, so I watched it with moderately low expectations

Fortunately, this flick is one of the sweetest surprises of this year. I didn't expect to shed tears in such a generic ta...

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.