This child friendly little film features a very good voice cast, bright colorful animation, an adventurous theme and some excellent family values. Now on DVD with a VUDU Digital Copy for on the go, this creative story should have your youngsters glued to the screen. Although Ava & Lala features a young girl in the main role, the boys should love all the animal characters with which she shares her adventure.
The story opens with Ava, a strong willed martial arts loving youngster who has been a little two feisty lately. On this day she gets in trouble for ridding a wild pig through the back yard nearly destroying it. Her father finds out and reprimands her after a quick show of some mock karate movies. She gets sent bed and told to stay in her room. But Ava’s not one to stay put so she sneaks out of her room through a special exit she has made. Outside in the woods she meets the fun loving Lala, a liger (half Tiger and have Lion) who has an adventure to begin. Ava joins the mythical creature who takes her on an unexpected journey to a world in the clouds. Is it a dream or real?
The film is all about sacrifice and helping your fellow man or animal. “She who saves others, saves herself” says Ava. She goes on the adventure not knowing where she will end up, but Ava is heading for life lessons that have eluded her being a child in a one parent household. During the adventure she finds out the importance of family, friends, being kind to animals and self sacrifice. The film is perfect for youngsters who like animals and stories that are exciting. It moves along fast introducing the characters and showing the beauty of the land in the clouds.
Writer/Director Wang Yunfei keeps his plot fantasy-like giving personalities that match each of the animals in the film. From the gruffly elephant to the strong willed General Tiger we find that the going could be tough at times. He adds some carnival to the film with rollercoaster rides using visual excitement. His story has a good beginning a fun loving middle and an exciting ending that should keep any child interested throughout. If your son or daughter likes Disney animated tales, then when you need some time to do some chores within eyesight, so plop the toddler down for a fantastical journey.
The film has been rated PG by the MPAA for rude humor and some action. There are some lessons in dealing with problems and adult supervision that also come up in the film.
Specifications and additional film information:
Cast: Tom Arnold, JK Simmons, Mira Sorvino, George Takei, Ashley Russon, Abe Benrubi, Maile Flanagan
Director: Wang Yunfei
MPAA Rating: PG for rude humor and some action.
Genre: Animation, Adventure
Running Time: 1 hr 20 min
Video Release Date: 10-7-14
Language: English
Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: 16×9, Widescreen
Subtitles: None
Number of Discs: 1 Disc + Digital Copy
Distributed by: ARC Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
