Ozi: Voice of the Forest (2024)

The eponymous critter is an orang-utan who's been adopted by two human beings and lives in their jungle home whilst they carry out their environmental protection studies. It's all perfectly amiable until one day, "Ozi" gets a present. A tablet from a would be sponsor hoping that she will becomes a sort of ambassadorial influencer for their green-friendly industry. Of course, the humans know more about the activities of the duplicitous "Mr. Palm" so confiscate the gizmo. A box on top of the television is hardly going to deter her though, and now safely in possession of her new toy, she discovers something remarkable that drives her deep into the jungle. Luckily, she swiftly encounters the savvy "Chance" and pursued by an hunter and by her protectors, they head to a spot on a map that might reveal all to the young and inquisitive "Ozi". The message here is about as subtle as an air raid, but that's probably the clarity of message that makes more sense to young children who want to see animals free to roam in their natural habitat and not living in a sort of zoological version of the "Truman Show". To complete the doctrine, we have a go at corporate greed and misinformation and that's maybe where the characterisations perk up a bit - Donald Sutherland voiced the English language version as his menacing albino crocodile did a little of the company's enforcing for them. The animation is fine and the story flows along predictably, but adequately, for an hour and an half as it delivers it's simplistic planet-loving credentials to an unchallenging audience. Is it all about the butterfly effect? Well if there is point to social media influencers, then you do have to wonder...