Delhi Safari

Movie review by Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media
Delhi Safari Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 9+

Uneven and unnecessarily intense talking-animal tale.

PG 2012 95 minutes
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Parents say

age 14+

Based on 10 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 6 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Delhi Safari is an animated talking-animal adventure that includes a couple of frightening scenes and some innuendo. Most disturbing is an intense scene in which a father leopard is killed by a real estate development's construction crew; the scene is in slow motion and the mother and cub witness the death. Aasi monkey is a weapons-carrying warmonger who attempts to injure or kill a couple of different animals and wants to declare war on the humans. One scene shows a man putting his hand on his somewhat scantily clad date's legs and implying that he'll reward her for fooling around with him. Language includes insults like "dumb," "stupid," and some scatological jokes. Like most animal films, there's a strong message about caring for the environment and wildlife preservation.

Community Reviews

Isaac Dillon
Isaac Dillon Adult
July 4, 2018
age 12+

It’s ok

I watched this movie when i was younger and don’t remember much about it. The only thing that i remembered from it was the environmental awarness issue which is, at best, a very important message. I never relized how unfamily friendly this movie was. It still has a few good moments in it but for the most part, all i can say is, it had lots if potiental
Tiffany M.
Tiffany M. Adult
December 22, 2016
age 13+

Inappropriate content for an animated film

I should have read reviews before I started this movie. The content is really inappropriate for an animated film. There are many images of violence (with characters brandishing guns), gratuitous flashbacks of a parent death scene, a casting couch scene between a man and a woman with sexual innuendo, a scene mocking death. monkeys determined to start a war. I could go on and on. Beyond the inappropriate content for kids, the narrative doesn't make any sense. I don't think older kids would find any interest in the move or jokes.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In an Indian jungle, a leopard family reigns supreme until the father leopard (voiced by Cary Elwes) is killed by a real estate developer's construction crew. In response to the news that their leader is dead and their habitat is about to be displaced, mother leopard Begum (Vanessa Williams) and her cub join Bajrangi, a militant monkey (Carlos Alazraqui); Bagga, a sensible bear (Brad Garrett); and Alex, a parrot that can "talk human" (Tom Kenny) to travel to Delhi and protest the development. Along the way, the group overcomes obstacles and strife between Alex and Bajrangi.

Is It Any Good?

There are too many disconnects in DELHI SAFARI to make it a must-see. Because it's dubbed into English, the sound and the mouth movements don't quite sync, and it's more noticeable and distracting here than in other dubbed films. The scene where the father leopard is killed is unnecessarily drawn out and extremely intense and upsetting. The animation is outdated, and some of the songs are pretty forgettable -- though the flamingo song and the end-credits routine are fun, Bollywood-style numbers.

On the bright side, the movie's eco-friendly messages are positive, but those are available in most animal tales. With so many homages and references to other animal movies (particularly The Lion King and Madagascar), this Indian import seems more like a copycat with a few Bollywood songs thrown in to the mix. This just isn't original enough to bother with unless your kids adore anything and everything featuring talking wild animals.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Delhi Safari's messages. What do you take away from watching? Do you think a strong message is an important part of a kids' movie?

  • Which other animated movies are referenced or paid tribute to in Delhi Safari? Why do you think filmmakers choose to acknowledge other movies in their works?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

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    Musical king-of-the-beasts blockbuster is powerful, scary.

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  • Madagascar Poster Image

    Madagascar

    Cute story has some crude humor and innuendo.

    age 7+
  • Over the Hedge Poster Image

    Over the Hedge

    Cute animated tale with some mild scares, cartoon violence.

    age 5+

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