Get ready for the wildest ride of your life! Maurice may look like a penguin – but he’s a real tiger
inside! Raised by a tigress, he’s the clumsiest Kung-Fu master ever. Along with his friends, The
Jungle Bunch, he intends to maintain order and justice in the jungle, as his mother did before
him. But when Igor, an evil koala, decides to destroy the jungle once and for all with the help of
his army of silly baboons, Maurice faces his biggest challenge yet! Your family will go bananas
for The Jungle Bunch, a fresh and funny adventure that’s full of laughs and memorable
characters! KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Will C. comments, “The Jungle Bunch is a wacky animated
movie with talking animals that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but still entertains. Based on a
popular French kids’ series, this film has lots of action and some laughs. My favorite part of the
movie is when an exploding mushroom captures the entire Jungle Bunch. In order to get out,
they throw a pebble which starts a chain reaction to set them free.” Ivey H. adds, “This is a cute
film about a group of animals, called the Jungle Bunch, that protect and watch out for the jungle.
They put out forest fires, fight bad guys, save animals and help the community. I really enjoyed
the bright colors and scenes from the jungle.” Elle S. wraps it up with, “The film draws me in for
many reasons. It’s nice to see how each animal is portrayed by voice over, characteristics and
challenges. Igor, the wicked koala, is small but forceful with throwing mushroom grenades that
burst into big, bright fireworks exploding across the screen. I appreciate the teamwork between
the animals.” See their full reviews below.
The Jungle Bunch
By Will C., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 10
https://youtu.be/83FzBtWw9r0
The Jungle Bunch is a wacky animated movie with talking animals that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but
still entertains. Based on a popular French kids’ series, this film has lots of action and some laughs.
The Jungle Bunch begins by introducing us to a civilized nation of animals where an evil koala tries to
throw mushroom bombs at everyone. The Champs are saviors of the jungle – a tiger, sloth, rhino and
porcupine. The tiger raises a penguin as her own, which in turn raises a fish as his own child. Maurice the
tiger-penguin joins up with a gorilla and a bat, among others, to save everyone from Igor the koala
mastermind.
While the animation isn’t quite the level viewers are used to from Disney and Pixar, it’s still quite colorful
and interesting to watch. The jungle setting is especially well done with convincingly animated tropical
plants. The writers probably tried to squeeze too much plot into this film by including the origin story, but I
was still able to follow it well enough. My favorite part of the movie is when an exploding mushroom
captures the entire Jungle Bunch. In order to get out, they throw a pebble which starts a chain reaction to
set them free.
The Jungle Bunch is a movie of champions. “You don’t have to wear stripes in order to be
strong like a tiger.” We follow the lives of different creatures, both heroic and evil, to see how
they respond when devastation hits their habitat.
The battle is on between Natasha, the tiger and former leader of the champs. She stands for
justice and equality and won’t stop protecting and serving her home. Igor, a wicked koala, wants
revenge and power. He’s relentless when it comes to commanding all the animals of the jungle
for his own benefit. They fight for the future of the jungle and who is in control is tested at
ultimate lengths. Natacha has rescued and raised Maurice, a strong willed penguin with a tiger
spirit. He follows in the footsteps of his mother as he teams with a group of animals to protect
and serve.
This film offers positive outlooks when it comes to equality, problem solving and finding hope
during hopeless situations. The overall production quality is great. The imagery and sound
quality is sure to keep children engaged. Only a couple of scenes go on a little longer than
needed. For the most part, the film maintains a positive flow.
Children that love animals, fireworks explosions, monkey butt jokes and rescue missions will
absolutely enjoy this. It is recommended that you enjoy the film in its entirety as there is a
special bonus clip that is sure to please. There are multiple scenes using freeze framing, bold
bright animation and music that fit well with the flow of the film. The film takes place in a jungle,
so I loved hearing the birds squawking, animals hooting and other sounds of nature.
The film draws me in for many reasons. It’s nice to see how each animal is portrayed by voice
over, characteristics and challenges. Igor, the wicked koala, is small but forceful with throwing
mushroom grenades that burst into big, bright fireworks exploding across the screen. I
appreciate the teamwork between the animals.
There is a menu that offers the film to be played in its entirety or to select certain scenes. A
trailer clip, audio, and subtitles are also available to select. The most impactful message I got
from the film promotes equality and justice. I really enjoyed that Natasha, the tiger, loved and
raised Maurice, a penguin like her own. That equality and unconditional love is passed down to
Maurice when he raises his goldfish, Jr. The moral and love for the community doesn’t change
regardless of the animal or upbringing. This is a positive message for audiences. The message
is that you don’t have to have stripes in order to have the tiger spirit.
I rate this film 4 out of 5 stars for its wildness, comedy, production and impactful socially-positive
messages throughout. I recommend it for ages 5 to 12. The content is appropriate and user
friendly with its jokes and imagery. Reviewed by Elle S., KIDS FIRST! Juror.
