Josh Gad (Olaf in “Frozen”) narrates this story that follows an orangutan named Indah in Southeast Asia as she swings through the rainforest canopy and gets ready to leave home to venture into the wilds. First, we see Indah frolicking with her mother and brother, goofing around, and eating fruits and insects.
Gad, who adds enough humor and whimsy to keep youngsters watching, says that these critically endangered great apes “love to hang out and socialize.” They also have among the longest childhoods in nature, not leaving home until they’re about seven to 10 years old (they can live up to 60 years or so in captivity, and up to about 40 years in the wild).
This new DisneyNature documentary follows similar movies about penguins and pandas, with cinematography so gorgeous that the scenery often looks like a painting. There’s plenty of tension when predators like Sumatran tigers show up, and because orangutans share approximately 97 percent of their DNA with humans, it’s fascinating to watch the emotion on their faces, whether they’re feeling chipper, lonely or scared.
Children will learn some fun facts while being entertained by the antics of Indah and her friends. The film is directed by Mark Linfield and co-directed by Vanessa Berlowitz, who also collaborated on the nature documentaries “Elephant” and “Tiger.”