Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Uneven and unnecessarily intense talking-animal tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Delhi Safari
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 The animation is outdated, and some of the songs are pretty forgettable -- though the flamingo song and the end-credits routine are fun, Bollywood-style numbers.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
- In theaters : December 7, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : April 30, 2013
- Cast : Carlos Alazraqui , Tom Kenny , Vanessa Williams
- Director : Nikhil Advani
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Applied Art Productions
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Adventures , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence and menacing action, rude humor, suggestive content and thematic elements
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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