The Wild Thornberrys Movie

Nickelodeon’s animated explorer family runs into poachers in Africa in a sometimes-fun adventure that occasionally collapses into flat, savanna-like stretches. A shaman gives 12-year-old Eliza the ability to talk to animals. If she reveals her gift, she loses it forever. Her pet chimp Darwin follows her from Africa to boarding school in England and then back to Africa, where they attempt to save a baby cheetah and a herd of elephants from plunder. The thematic nugget here is that Eliza loses her power to communicate with the wildlife and must turn to her own instincts to save them. The all-star voice roster includes Rupert Everett, Lynn Redgrave, Marisa Tomei, Brenda Blethyn and Alfre Woodard.