‘Chang Can Dunk’
Bernard Chang (Bloom Li) is a basketball fanatic, but at 5-foot-8 and 16 years old, with more practice playing in the high school marching band than dribbling down the court, he’s used to cheering from the sidelines. Chang’s harried, working single mom (Mardy Ma) is tired of his indecisiveness, telling him early on, “You always change your mind, so find something and stick to it.” He can’t commit to a haircut, much less a career path. But when he bets the school jock (Chase Liefeld) that he can learn to dunk a basketball in time for homecoming, Chang finally finds something he can stick to. Written and directed by Jingyi Shao, who honed his skills helming commercials and short films, “Chang Can Dunk” puts an Asian American teenager front and center in this coming-of-age story that’ll appeal to older kids, who will relate to Chang’s desire to get the girl (Zoe Renee), beat the bad guy and — most important of all — dunk that basketball.
‘The Magician’s Elephant’
Based on the book by the Newbery Award winner Kate DiCamillo, this fantastical animated tale is about a young orphan named Peter (voiced by Noah Jupe) who is determined to find the long-lost sister he’d been told was dead. The people in his once vibrant, now war-torn town, Baltese, have lost all belief in magic. Gray, balloon-like clouds hang over the city, blocking the sunlight and keeping the citizens longing for better days. When a fortune teller instructs Peter to “follow the magician’s elephant” to find his sister, the adventure begins. Peter must do a “series of impossible things” to rescue the elephant that the magician (Benedict Wong) conjured out of thin air, find his sister and bring some hope back to Baltese. The voice cast is solid (Mandy Patinkin plays the gruff soldier who is raising Peter as his own) and the director, Wendy Rogers, who worked in visual effects on films like “Puss in Boots” and “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” creates interesting visuals and plenty of action to keep easily distracted little viewers invested.
The “adorable animals on an epic journey” genre has enchanted young viewers for decades — “Homeward Bound” and “The Adventures of Milo and Otis” being just two beloved examples. This animated follow-up to “The Big Trip” doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and it does rehash much of the plot of the first film, but Oscar the rabbit (voiced by Jesse McCartney) and his grumpy bear pal Mic-Mic (Pauly Shore) are a cute duo whose comedic antics should keep toddlers and younger kids entertained. Over in the United Forest of America, the evil Don Vulture is running for president against a bear, John Grizzly. (There is talk of “fake lies” and “big empty promises,” so you can probably guess which real-life former president the vulture is modeled after.) The law says no childless animal can become president, but the stork delivered Grizzly’s cub to the wrong home, so our heroes must race to return the cub in time for the election. Along the way they battle hungry hyenas and snowstorms, protecting the cooing baby bear so they can complete their quest.
‘Fireheart’
Directed by the BAFTA winner Laurent Zeitoun (“The Death of Stalin,” “The Intouchables”) with Theodore Ty, “Fireheart” tells a story of female rebellion through the character of Georgia Nolan (voiced by Olivia Cooke), a teenage girl in 1932 New York City who wishes she were allowed to fight fires like her dad, Shawn (Kenneth Branagh). When Shawn is asked to come out of retirement to help stop a mysterious serial arsonist, Georgia decides to make her dream a reality — by disguising herself as a man named Joe. She puts mangoes in her shirt to create biceps, and clips her pet Dalmatian’s fur to make a mustache. Silly? Sure, but young kids will hopefully cheer Georgia’s willingness to chase her dream despite the odds. There are some sweet moments between Georgia and her dad, and the firefighting scenes will excite the imaginations of little ones. The soundtrack ranges from Roaring Twenties-inspired tunes to Wham! (an on-the-nose “I’m Your Man”) and the visuals aren’t pushing any boundaries, but not every animated film can be “Avatar.”
Film is a visual medium, so no matter that this Kenya-set film has subtitles that most little ones won’t have the ability (or patience) to read. The story centers on a shy young boy named Safari (Victor Fadhili), who uses a wheelchair and isn’t allowed to talk to strangers or venture far from his rural home. He yearns to see the country and spot a real elephant in the wild, not just on his TV. After he befriends a gutsy neighbor girl named Kiki (Abilasha Muthoni), the two embark on an adventure that has them facing down evil poachers, wild animals and big-city life. The film is written and produced by Njue Kevin, who made Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 list in 2019, and directed by Bill Jones Afwani (who is also a co-writer). The visuals are beautiful, and the children’s performances are genuine and touching. The film might not hold the attention of all kids, but it’s definitely worth a shot.
