‘Swapped’ Review: Michael B. Jordan Voices Cute Netflix ‘Toon

There have been plenty of movies about human beings switching bodies, so why not one about animals? That, at least, seems to be the rationale behind Netflix’s new animated film rehashing a very familiar formula for kiddies too young to appreciate the likes of Freaky Friday. Unfortunately, they haven’t been the first out of the gate, since the very similarly themed Hoppers beat them to the punch months ago. Nonetheless, Swapped has its appeals, including gorgeously rendered animation and the first screen performance by Michael B. Jordan since he won the Oscar for Sinners. (Sorry, ladies, it’s his voice only.)

Directed by Nathan Greno in his first feature effort since 2010’s Tangled, the film (originally titled Pookoo) is set in the bucolic “Valley,” where creatures don’t necessarily exist harmoniously. Case in point: the small woodland creatures known as “Pookoos,” who look like tiny sea otters, and the large birds called “Javans,” who resemble a cross between an owl and a parrot.

The hero of the story is Ollie (Jordan), an endlessly curious young Pookoo who spends his days exploring the Valley, even rigging up a tiny snorkel so he can check out the underwater life. After nearly getting eaten by a large fish for his troubles, Ollie is berated by his exasperated parents (Cedric the Entertainer, a master at conveying exasperation, and Justina Machado). “You don’t go off island!” they berate their son, adding their mantra: “Hide today, alive tomorrow!”

Ollie also has a grandmother (Tata Vega), who tells him the cautionary tale of the “Fire Wolf,” which viewers would be well advised to pay attention to since it figures prominently in the story later.

One day, Ollie comes across a trio of Javans, sisters who for some reason speak in British accents. Among them is Ivy (Juno Temple), with whom Ollie has a history, since he once innocently taught her the secret trick of opening seeds. Somehow, he and Ivy wind up switching bodies after falling into a “glowing pod” and, despite their natural animosity, are forced to team up in a fight for survival. Along the way, they join forces with Boogle, a lovable fish (Tracy Morgan).

This being a kiddie film, you can rest assured that Swapped has a valuable message to impart, namely one about the virtues of inter-species harmony. After Ollie and Ivy are briefly transformed into fish, for instance (don’t ask), they have to join forces with Boogle to become a “megafish” in order to swim up a waterfall. But the film never gets too heavy-handed in its themes, thanks to its fast pacing, frequent doses of humor, and myriad plot twists, including one that qualifies as a doozy.

The computer animation of the verdant environs looks beautiful, making one wish that Swapped was getting more than a token theatrical release, while the character designs provide a more than sufficient cutesiness quotient. And while Jordan and Temple are more than adequate in their appealing vocal turns, it’s Morgan who steals the film with his committed and hugely entertaining turn as the fish who seems in over his gills. The actor, who comes off almost like a cartoon in real life, should really do more voice work in animation.