Set in the Okavango Delta in Africa, the German animation directed by Reinhard Klooss and Holger Tappe advocates environmental conservation in simple terms made understandable for children.
The voice cast of Animals United boasts a list of popular English actors that seem too good for a child-oriented cartoon. James Corden, from award winning British comedy Gavin and Stacey, voices the protagonist Billy the Meerkat. Together with his best friend, a mild tempered lion named Socrates, voiced by Stephen Fry, the pair journeys to seek a new water source after the water supply in their habitat was stemmed.

Billy had a tough time trying to convince Socrates to return to the Valley of Death, where he lost his brother as a cub
Along the way, Billy and Socrates meet a motley crew of displaced animals from all over the globe whose homes were destroyed due to the melting of ice caps, oil spills and manmade fires; basically environmental issues caused by humans. They travel together through the Valley of Death, and eventually come across a large dam.
Billy and Socrates subsequently discover that their water source was cut off because humans built the dam to maintain a luxury resort in the name of sustainable development. To add to the irony, they were holding an environmental conference at that very resort.
Having lost their homes to mankind’s developments themselves, the new friends readily assists Billy and Socrates in their attempt to free the water from the dam. However, Socrates was captured, leading Billy and the rest to get help from Angie the Elephant, voiced by Dawn French. She brings all the creatures in the savannah together to hold a conference of their own (think Lion King), and eventually, they unite to save Socrates and bring down the dam.

Charles, the Gallic chicken, addresses the animals of the savannah

Based on a German book Conference of the Animals written in 1955, the plot of Animals United is essentially very safe and can be easily fitted into any animals-fighting-for-their-homes formula, like Happy Feet or Madagascar for example.
Many, if not all of the characters such as Charles the Rooster and the bickering herds of rhinos and buffalos were underdeveloped. The introductions to each of the animals were short, abrupt and confusing, so inevitably, the characters were one-dimensional and stereotypical, their potential to add in some much needed humour to the film stifled.
The film pushes its limits trying to convince anyone above 12 years of age about the plausibility of the storyline on more than a few occasions. A polar bear, a kangaroo and a Tasmanian devil traveling with a vegetarian lion in Africa…seriously?
Its saving grace: the quality of the animation’s 3D effects were a notch above the rest. Albeit cliché, Billy’s blundering yet relentlessly determined character is endearing and very likeable.
Embed trailer (https://youtu.be/jAFtwYi-QuA)
Animals from literally all over the globe united in this German-translated animation: you decide if it’s worth the travel fare.

Movie: Animals United
Rating: 2/5
Opens: 9 June
Duration: 93 minutes
Language: English
Age Rating: G
Genre: Animation, Family
Director: Reinhard Klooss, Holger Tappe
Cast: Jim Broadbent, James Cordon, Omid Djalili, Jason Donovan, Dawn French, Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley, Billie Piper, Vanessa Redgrave, Andy Serkis