OZI: Voice of the Forest
One voice can change the world.
Synopsis
Separated from her parents when their forest home is destroyed, Ozi is taken in by kind wildlife sanctuary owners who keep her safe and slowly teach her to communicate through sign language. With the combination of her new skills and natural talent for social media, Ozi soon has a worldwide following. When she learns that her parents might be alive, Ozi sets off on a quest to find them and to tell the world what is happening to the rainforest before it’s too late. With help from new friends, cheeky monkey Chance and loveable rhino Honkus, Ozi discovers that one voice really can change the world.
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family
Status: Released
Director: Tim Harper
Website: https://www.mikrosanimation.com/en/project/ozi-voice-of-the-forest/
Main Cast
Amandla Stenberg
JAZZY
Dean-Charles Chapman
Chance
Djimon Hounsou
Jojo
Donald Sutherland
Mr. Smiley
Laura Dern
Seema
RuPaul
Gurd
Urzila Carlson
Honka
Hugh Bonneville
Erzähler
Trailer
User Reviews
CinemaSerf
The eponymous critter is an orang-utan who's been adopted by two human beings and lives in their jungle home whilst they carry out their environmental protection studies. It's all perfectly amiable until one day, "Ozi" gets a present. A tablet from a would be sponsor hoping that she will becomes a sort of ambassadorial influencer for their green-friendly industry. Of course, the humans know more about the activities of the duplicitous "Mr. Palm" so confiscate the gizmo. A box on top of the television is hardly going to deter her though, and now safely in possession of her new toy, she discovers something remarkable that drives her deep into the jungle. Luckily, she swiftly encounters the savvy "Chance" and pursued by an hunter and by her protectors, they head to a spot on a map that might reveal all to the young and inquisitive "Ozi". The message here is about as subtle as an air raid, but that's probably the clarity of message that makes more sense to young children who want to see animals free to roam in their natural habitat and not living in a sort of zoological version of the "Truman Show". To complete the doctrine, we have a go at corporate greed and misinformation and that's maybe where the characterisations perk up a bit - Donald Sutherland voiced the English language version as his menacing albino crocodile did a little of the company's enforcing for them. The animation is fine and the story flows along predictably, but adequately, for an hour and an half as it delivers it's simplistic planet-loving credentials to an unchallenging audience. Is it all about the butterfly effect? Well if there is point to social media influencers, then you do have to wonder...
