2026 | PG | 102 mins. | Directed by Nathan Greno
Swapped is the latest in what seems to be a never-ending cycle of animated talking animal movies. With the success of Zootopia 2 last year and recent movies like Hoppers and Animal Farm also getting into the mix, how does Swapped separate itself from the pack? On paper, it looks like just another generic animal movie with a heavy-handed lesson that the characters must learn and then everyone feels good in the end. Thankfully, Swapped stands on its own and separates itself by being creative with its character designs as well as taking big chances in its plot point.
Throughout the movie we follow a small woodland creature named Ollie (Michael B. Jordan). When he is younger, he befriends a young bird, called a Javan, that he shows how to eat the food of his species. After doing so the bird invites the rest of her flock to come and try this food, which makes things difficult for Ollie and his family. Ollie's species, called Pookoos, have always been told to never trust those from a different group. So, when the birds take over their land and start eating all their food, the Pookoos must go underground to not have any conflict. Over time the birds continue to go to the Pookoo island to eat their food. This causes the Pookoos to have less food and it won't be long before they will all starve.
A now older Ollie sets out to get the birds away from the Pookoos food supply. While doing so he stumbles upon a mysterious and magical pod that turns him into a Javan. When his family finds him, they think he has been eaten by a Javan and they push him away from their group. Ollie ends up meeting another Javan by the name of Ivy (Juno Temple). He continues to search for another pod he can use to turn himself back into a Pookoo with Ivy tagging along. Ivy ends up touching a pod they find and turns herself into a Pookoo. Now the two must work together to find more of these magical pods to turn themselves back into their own bodies.
From the beginning the message in Swapped is quite clear. Trusting and learning from others is a good thing and can help build better communities. It's a great message not just for kids but for adults too. The movie does a great job in executing this message and explores it in a unique way.
This is a beautifully animated movie. There are so many bright and vibrant colors but even the smaller details in the scenery and the character designs really stand out. The designs of all the animals are fascinating and creative. These aren't just typical animals that are out in the real world. Each species of animal is mixed with a part of nature and that makes all of them unique in their own ways. Seeing things like pinecone hedgehogs, rock bears or flower wolves makes the overall story even more fun to watch.
When it comes to the voice performances here, everybody is doing a fine job. For this to be his first voice acting performance Michael B. Jordan does a good job as Ollie. It is basically just his own voice on a cartoon animal, but it works more than it doesn't. Juno Temple is a good counterpart to Jordan. She has a bit more to her performance but the two work well together. The biggest surprise in the cast is Tracy Morgan who plays a lovable fish who pops in and out of the movie. His performance is shockingly great, and he steals every scene that he shows up in.
The movie does take a while to get going in the beginning. There is a lot of setup and exposition in the first act that the story almost doesn't feel worth it by the time things really start up. Once the main part of the story kicks in is where the movie starts to find its footing and settles nicely into place. While there is nothing new here in the way of plot points the animation and fun characters are what make this worthwhile. This also has a plot twist that is not expected from this type of movie and is quite surprising when it happens.
Overall, Swapped is an enjoyable movie for all ages. While it doesn't offer anything new in the way of its story, the overall message is a good one and the beautiful animation and unique character designs make this a lot better than it looks on paper.
Grade: B
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