Shout! Studios and Shout! Kids
Digital Release Date: Jan 28, 2025
Richard Claus’s love for all things little is front and centre in Panda Bear in Africa. It’s a Spanish-animated film that’s now seeing distribution outside its country. When it purposely borrows from Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and Lion King, I’m hoping this filmmaker has not run out of ideas.
After delivering well-meaning tales like The Little Vampire (2017) and Ainbo, Spirit of the Amazon (2021; movie review), this latest work isn’t all that original. Even then, I still enjoyed the overall message about how Pang (Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing), a young panda, loves to play with others outside his species. While others are not as kind, his behaviour is worth learning from. No one should be judged because they are from another species. Even when his pal gets kidnapped, he doesn’t listen to the advice of his elders and is determined to rescue his bestie.
Continue reading “To Put A “Panda Bear in Africa” May Be Hazardous For This Cub’s Health”