Looking for something to watch with the whole family on Christmas? Look no further than Disneynature’s latest offering–Growing Up Wild narrated by Daveed Diggs (of Hamilton fame).
Growing Up Wild is a beautiful, fun adventure that focuses on the lives of five different animal families–cheetahs, chimpanzees, lions, bears, and monkeys. The film is all about the trials of growing up in the wild for these different animals. If you’re a Disneynature fan, a lot of this may seem familiar. This new digital-only film makes use of footage from four previous films African Cats, Chimpanzee, Bears, and Monkey Kingdom but with a totally new story narrated by Daveed Diggs. There are a lot of great comparisons between the animal families that adds a new dimension to the original films. And if you haven’t seen those films, Growing Up Wild stands alone as well.
That isn’t to say that everything is all roses. There are some deaths in the movie (some of these animals are predators after all), but there isn’t anything too graphic. I watched the film with my three-year-old and nothing was too scary or unwatchable for him. That being said, you know your kids best, and if you think they may be upset at seeing or hearing about animal death, you may want to hold off on watching it with them.
My favorite part of the Disneynature films is that they are both entertaining and educational at the same time. When a lot of family program is lacking in education, it’s nice to be able to watch something and have a lot to take away (like doing more research on specific types of animals, habitats, etc.)
Note: I received a review copy of this film but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
