The One and Only Ivan

It's never too late to discover who you are.

2020 • 93 min • Family · Comedy · Drama

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Synopsis

A gorilla named Ivan who’s living in a suburban shopping mall tries to piece together his past, with the help of other animals, as they hatch a plan to escape from captivity.

Our family guide

Best from age 6

Movie Knight Score

648 reviews

100 Reviewers · 2 · 51%
73 Audience · 646 · 49%

Ivan, a gorilla living in a shopping mall, teams up with other animals to uncover his past and plan their escape from captivity. Based on a true story, this film explores themes of home, friendship, and freedom through the eyes of its animal characters.

Violence & peril: 3/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 1/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 4/10

Heads up

Scenes of animal captivity and sadness
Some mild peril when the animals try to escape
Brief discussion of an animal's past trauma

What it models well

Friendship and teamwork
Finding your true home
Compassion for animals
The importance of art

Talk about it after

What does freedom mean to different characters?
How did Ivan's art help him and his friends?
Why is it important to protect animals and their habitats?

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The One and Only Ivan. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Thea Sharrock • Crew: Mike White

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
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.…
r96sk, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com 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.…
Manuel São Bento, TMDB Community