Swapped

There was a time not too long ago when animated films provoked introspection. In recent years, however, the medium has pivoted to pacifying overstimulated children. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, for instance, is less a movie than a daycare to occupy kids’ time for 90 minutes. But hope has a tendency of revealing itself when you least expect it. Not many would’ve expected a new children’s movie on Netflix to offer more insight about the world than the recent films of Darren Aronofsky or Robert Zemeckis, but sometimes that’s how it goes — just look at KPop Demon Hunters. Now, the streamer’s latest offering, Swapped, takes the tropes of body-swap comedies of the past and filters them through a decidedly contemporary lens.

Produced by Skydance Animation, the new Netflix animated feature Swapped tells the story of a magical valley that has fallen on hard times. A woodland creature and a majestic bird swap bodies to figure out a way to restore it to its glory. While the storytelling and look of the animated fable feel a bit familiar, its sure-handed execution is what sees Swapped through. Nathan Greno’s film is led by the stunning visuals and empathetic voice performances of actors Michael B Jordan, Juno Temple and Tracy Morgan. The Netflix film is a perfect lesson to introduce children about compassion towards others, though very young children might find the latter portions a bit scary.