Annecy Review: The animal kingdom steals the show in charming adventure Born in the Jungle

Elizabeth is going into the fifth grade, and her interests are very much what you'd expect for a girl that age: she wants to hang out with her friends in the city, join them in excursions to the amusement park or the cinema, you know, all the typical dreams of a kid on the verge of pre-teen-dom. But when we meet her, sitting alongside a couple of her friends in a bustling city plaza, she's on the precipice of being taken away from all those dreams. Her mom is coming to pick her up and whisk her away to the family home for the summer. And her mom just happens to be flying an airplane, which she lands (with incredible precision) right smack-dab in the middle of the plaza.

As the title Born in the Jungle suggests, Elizabeth isn't a full-time resident of the city where she has friends, a school life, and a deep desire to be "normal" (whatever that means). Instead, her family lives on Orchid Island alongside an Indigenous tribe, where her parents live a life as explorers/researchers/adventurers. The jungle is teeming with colorful and diverse flora and fauna, but to Elizabeth, it's a bore. Because it isn't where she wants to be.

It's a classic set-up, having a main character who wants to get away from the life she's been born into, who is ready to leave behind her family home for a world she pictures herself fitting more neatly into. And in this case, Elizabeth actually knows that life in the city suits her. She goes there for school, has her friends there, all that jazz. And, honestly, when she's in the jungle, she seems very much not at home. While her parents and (especially) her little brother Leo all seem at ease as they wander through the thick greenery, Elizabeth is clearly out of her element. She's clumsy, lost, confused. 

Which is unfortunate for her, because she has quite the adventure ahead of her.

Born in the Jungle follows Elizabeth's quest to find Leo after he wanders off into the jungle, following an adorable creature (whom they eventually deem Fluffy) who looks like a sort of lemur/weasel/rabbit thing. And who can fly! After a minor accident involving a chicken and a ladder, Elizabeth's mom has to whisk her dad away to the city for medical attention, leaving the kids unattended. And Leo wastes no time in setting off with his newfound furry friend, leading to a journey across the island that involves a lot of animal encounters, a trio of boneheaded poachers, and some other surprising developments along the way.

This is a super simple story, in that the action flows quite neatly forward, rarely spending a moment on character development or subplots. Born in the Jungle skews younger, especially on the narrative front, which means it's a really pleasant and easy watch. It's really lovely to look at, with beautiful colors and animation that looks like storybook illustrations come to life. And it does what it sets out to do with economical storytelling, a big heart, and plenty of laughs along the way.

My favorite part of the movie is how richly drawn the denizens of the animal kingdom are. Elizabeth and Leo come across so many animals during their adventure -- monkeys, crocodiles, jaguars, fish, ants, on and on -- and they all have a ton of personality. A lot of these animal characters get great comedic beats or help our human heroes along their way. It's fun to see how they're woven into the story, and how the natural world is willing to lend a hand to Elizabeth and Leo, because they're clearly interested in helping the animals, as well. 

The film has a strong thematic core focused on protecting the environment, looking out for our animal neighbors, and respecting Indigenous cultures. Elizabeth and Leo are prime examples of how to be good stewards of the world around us, showing young viewers how to help protect our planet and what makes it special. This kind of straightforward, fun storytelling is a great vehicle for imparting these lessons without ever feeling like it's being didactic: it's a great marriage of style and substance.

If I had kids, Born in the Jungle is exactly the kind of movie I would be excited to share with them. And even as a full-grown adult without any kids, I had a wonderful time watching it, and exploring its colorful wonders alongside its root-for-able young heroes.