The Wild Life

In this juvenile animated retelling of Daniel Defoe's classic novel Robinson Crusoe, the focus is on the critters inhabiting the little island that Crusoe (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal) lands on after being shipwrecked. The most notable figure in the menagerie is Mak (David Howard)—a parrot nicknamed Tuesday by Crusoe—who desperately wants to explore the wider world (and serves as narrator). Other talkative animals (voiced by a mostly unfamiliar cast) include a tapir, an echidna, a pangolin, a goat, a kingfisher, and a chameleon. After some initial reluctance, the wildlife cozy up to the gangly, inept Crusoe and help him survive. Unfortunately, the shipwreck has also deposited a couple of nasty cats on the island, who along with their ravenous offspring threaten both the locals and Crusoe (eventually, some pirates also show up). Although technically proficient, this Belgian entry from filmmakers Vincent Kesteloot and Ben Stessen features prosaic storytelling and largely dull dialogue (with none of the adult-friendly zingers that spice up contemporary Hollywood ‘toons). Not a necessary purchase. (F. Swietek)