The new movie ‘The One and Only Ivan’ opens eyes about animals in captivity
Danny DeVito: I hope people will come away from it thinking about what’s going on with animals who are in captivity, and how we are invading their habitats all over the world.
PETER SBLENDORIO: Danny DeVito is ready for his newest movie to touch people’s hearts — and open their eyes.In “The One and Only Ivan,” the New Jersey-born actor voices a lovable street dog who wanders into a cramped animal enclosure inside a shopping mall and befriends a caged gorilla who longs to be free. The humor and heartfelt moments throughout the film delighted DeVito, as did the larger message at the center of a project inspired by a true story.
“I hope that people will come away from it thinking about what’s going on with animals who are in captivity, and how we are invading their habitats all over the world, whether it’s invading their species or also the places that they live, and making it a smaller and smaller planet for them to exist” DeVito, 75, told the Daily News.
The family film, which debuts on Disney+ this Friday, focuses on a struggling sideshow at the remote Big Top Mall and Video Arcade whose big draw is Ivan the gorilla. The animal attraction garners widespread attention once Ivan starts using crayons and finger paint to create artwork that expresses his yearning to return to the wild.
DeVito’s character, Bob, is the gorilla’s best friend, loves sneaking into the enclosure and always has words of inspiration to lift Ivan’s spirit… Ivan also serves as a mentor to a baby elephant, Ruby, who shares the same dream of being freed from the exhibit. The movie — an adaptation of a 2012 children’s novel by K.A. Applegate — features a blend of lifelike computer-animated animals and live-action humans. SOURCE…
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