Parents' Guide to Sheep & Wolves

This twist on the "wolf in sheep's clothing" saying is sure to amuse younger kids with its fish-out-of-water setup, but it's ultimately an uneven, scattered take on a predictable formula. There's nothing remotely original about a story focused on an immature young man who recognizes the need to grow up out of love for the right young woman and the need to defend his people/community. Felton's voice acting is slightly too posh-sounding to match Grey's devil-may-care attitude, but he does get the emotional cues right as Grey goes through the spectrum of feelings in his new body. Renowned voice actor Orlow's Ragear can sound every bit the bloodthirsty villain he is, and Rose is well cast as the patient, confident Bianca, who's waiting for Grey to step up and be the alpha male she knows he can be.

Sheep & Wolves relies on some very Lion King-like themes, but they don't add up to anything particularly memorable here. Grey, after all, does more to teach the sheep than the sheep seem to teach him (until the very end). He helps Moz (Peter Linz) express his true feelings to Lyra (China Anne McClain); mentors Lyra's little brother, Shaya (Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld); and even calls out the flock leader for his superstitious beliefs (in a particularly cruel way, but it does wake the flock up to their shortcomings). Kids will laugh (although sensitive ones will also be understandably frightened of Ragear's viciousness), and this movie is still better than several of the Alpha & Omega sequels, but don't expect your next family favorite in this "can't we all be friends" adventure.