If you have youngsters who are in their learning phase then you will want them to see Delhi Safari, a fun film that makes a lot of sense about our relationship to the animals on our planet. Told in story form, this cute film will intrigue, entertain and pass along a message that’s much needed in the world today. Now available on Blu-ray and DVD April 16, the animated film features a fine voice cast with very good direction.
The film opens with Sultan (Cary Elwes) a proud male leopard teaching his son Yuvi (Tara Strong) how to defend himself when a huge bull dozer comes crashing through their jungle habitat clearing a way for a new shopping center. Fearful of the big cutting blades that chops the trees, the two flee from the man made earth destroyer. The two get cornered by human workers and in their attempt to escape Sultan loses his life as he throws his son to safety.
Upset over the incident, Yuvi talks things over with Begum (Vanessa Williams) his mother and they decide to leave the area for a new home deeper in the jungle. But, Yuvi is not satisfied with that as he doesn’t understand why the animals must leave their homes. One of his friends, a monkey called Bajrangi offers some consolation and a show of his fearlessness. When Mr. Pigeon (Christopher Lloyd) tells the group of animals that he knows a Parrot named Alex that can talk to the humans, a team made up of Begum, a bear named Bagga (Brad Garrett), and Bajarangi (Carlos Alazraqui) set out to find Alex (Tom Kenny) and bring him to Delhi for a talk to the Parliament.
The story brings out the message that we need to protect our wildlife as they have the right to our planet as much as humans. It shows how important they are to the world and that the destruction of the jungle they live in, will affect everyone on Earth. It’s a nice story told in an exciting adventure where the group avoids danger, meets other animals and finds friendships along their journey.
The musical soundtrack is extremely good with the cast singing as they go on their journey. Some of the standout songs are “To Forgive…To Forget” sung by Vanessa Williams and two sung by the whole cast, “Delhi Safari” and “We’re on Our Way Now”.
The quality of the animation is very good on DVD with bright colors in a widescreen format for 16×9 Televisions. The movie fills the whole screen and the animals are lifelike and nicely drawn. While some of the animals may be animated a little scary to enhance the story, if your children are watching Nick or Disney, then most of the action will be acceptable.
The sound quality has an option of either using the 5.1 Dolby Digital or 2.0 Dolby Digital whichever plays best on your television or sound system. All the dialogue is very clear and the special effects sounds are very good. I found my surround kicking in now and then to enhance the action sequences.
There are no bonus features on the DVD but a trailer is available to give you some parental guidance. Some of the scenes that may be a little scary involve the hyenas that are toward the end of the film and in the very beginning when Sultan gets shot.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A very good message is the basis for this good kid’s film.[rating=5]
Specifications and additional film information:
- Cast: Jason Alexander, Cary Elwes, Brad Garrett, Christopher Lloyd, Jane Lynch
- Directed by: Nikhil Advani
- MPAA Rating: PG for violence and menacing action, rude humor, suggestive content and thematic elements
- Genre: Animated
- Running Time: 1 hr 36 min
- Street Date: April 16, 2013
- Original Theatrical Release:
- Language: English
- Format: DVD
- Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital or 2.0 Dolby Digital
- Video: Widescreen 16×9. 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
- Subtitles: None
- Number of Discs: 1 Disc
- 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
