Swapped Parent Guide

When you’re a small rodent, you have good cause to fear nearly everything. Ollie (Michael B. Jordan), a little creature known as a Pookoo, has been told over and over by nearly every adult in his life that his unchecked curiosity is going to get him, and maybe them, killed. They insist that Ollie should never trust anybody but another Pookoo. But he’s also heard their stories about the history of their valley; of a time when giant forest creatures called the Dzo used their magic to allow all the animals of the valley to speak to, and even transform into, the other animals. The Dzo are long gone now, destroyed by an ancient monster called the Firewolf. 

Unsurprisingly, these tales sharpen Ollie’s curiosity. He’s so excited to meet other animals that he shows a strange bird how to get piplet seeds from their pods – only for the bird to call for reinforcements, who sweep all the Pookoo from their homes and rapidly start devouring their food supply. Now an outcast in his own community, Ollie sets out to find a way to reclaim their home and instead finds one of the Dzo’s magic pods. Touching it turns him into one of the birds, and gives him the ability to speak with them. The first bird he meets, Ivy (Juno Temple) is bossy, insufferable, and abrasive, but she might be his only hope for finding another pod and getting back home. 

There’s a lot going on in this movie – maybe too much. Themes of betrayal, forgiveness, prejudice, community, colonialism, and environmental preservation all jockey for space in the story. Accordingly, they don’t all get the time they need to feel fully developed. Since this is a child-geared animated production, I’m not overly concerned that the thematic development is a little stunted, but it does make the story feel scattered in places. 

I’m all for the film’s messages around strength in diverse communities, although like every other animated movie, it runs into problems by featuring animals. I’m not sure who or what we expect the carnivores to eat, but Swapped sidesteps that messy little issue in much the same way as The Lion King.

Being geared towards a family audience, this animal tale has little for parents to fret over. There’s minimal deliberate violence, although characters are routinely chased by natural predators and exposed to any number of perilous situations. There is no profanity, no substance use, and no sexual content. This flick may have a few hiccups, but with a clean bill of health and a solid voice cast, Swapped is a reasonably palatable offering for kids. 

About author

Keith Hawkes

Keith Hawkes graduated from Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada with a degree in English and History. His interests are movies, American literature, science fiction, almost every kind of music, and museums. He enjoys criticizing films for fun - although he's okay with being paid for it.