THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN
A sweet, winsome animal quest for freedom, kindness, and family viewing.
Should You Watch It?
Yes. The One and Only Ivan is a sweet, engaging, winsome family movie with talented performances and a strong emotional center. It stresses freedom, kindness, treating others well, and sticking together.
The film also includes environmentalist ideas about animals living in the wild rather than in captivity or performing for people. Its Christian and biblical elements are allegorical, including mankind naming the animals and one character’s call to “take a leap of faith.”
The content concerns are slight: brief potty humor and light jeopardy. For a family-friendly Disney+ movie with little objectionable content, this is WORTH THE TRIP for viewers of all ages.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESIvan is a silverback gorilla who performs in a circus act at a shopping mall in Washington State. The show is struggling financially, and Ivan’s life changes when Mack, the circus owner, brings in Ruby, a baby elephant.
Ruby becomes close to Stella, an older elephant whose health is failing. Ivan is also friends with Julia, the stagehand’s daughter, and Bob, a stray dog. As Ivan begins to understand what freedom means for himself and the other animals, he makes a promise that leads him toward a daring plan.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is a highly entertaining, well-made family movie. The story’s sweetness and engaging animal characters give it a winsome charm. The CGI animals function similarly to those in Lady and the Tramp (2019) and Dumbo (2019), without diminishing the movie’s appeal.
The star-studded cast includes Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Sam Rockwell, and Bryan Cranston. Cranston is especially effective as Mack, the circus owner. The movie is also based on a true story, which is revealed during the end credits.
The Worldview
The film has a mixed worldview. It strongly values freedom, kindness, treating others well, and sticking together. Stella also stresses that not all humans are bad and that people are capable of redemption in how they treat others.
At the same time, the movie contains strong environmentalist elements about animals belonging in the wild rather than in captivity or performing as entertainers. It includes lighter Romantic ideas about living without walls, along with allegorical Christian imagery about mankind naming the animals and one instance where a character says to “take a leap of faith.”
The film’s emphasis on naming animals echoes the biblical account of God bringing the animals to Adam to be named: “The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field” (Genesis 2:20).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Mixed worldview with strong moral elements where characters stick together and care for one another, some strong environmentalist elements as animals are meant to roam free in the wild rather than be in captivity or made to perform as entertainers, some light Romantic elements where animal characters dream about a future where they will get to live like the rest of their species free from the confines of walls, and some allegorical Christian imagery stressing the value of mankind naming animals and one instance where a character says to “take a leap of faith”
Foul Language
No obscenities, no profanities, two “what the hecks,” and gorilla character passes gas once
Violence
Light violence when car almost runs over a bunny, gorilla beats his chest in frustration in a few scenes and an old elephant dies
Sex
No sex
Nudity
No nudity aside from naturalistic animal nudity
Alcohol Use
No alcohol use
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Lying and an ambiguous element where animal characters look up to the sky after one of their number passes away, as if she is looking down on them.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Ivan and his friends care for one another when life is difficult. What does it look like for your family to stick together and treat one another well?
John 13:34–35 · Romans 12:10The animals long for freedom and a life suited to their nature. How should people care for the animals and world God has entrusted to them?
Genesis 1:26–28 · Proverbs 12:10Stella reminds the animals that not all humans are bad and that people can change. What does redemption look like in the way we treat others?
Ephesians 4:32 · Colossians 3:12–13One character says to “take a leap of faith.” What is the difference between trusting God and acting recklessly?
Proverbs 3:5–6 · Hebrews 11:1The Final Word
The One and Only Ivan is a gentle, well-acted family movie about freedom, kindness, and caring for others. Its environmentalist ideas may invite discussion, but its content concerns are minor. For families and viewers of all ages, this is WORTH THE TRIP.
