An Elephant's Journey (2017) User Reviews

Really dumb movie with its heart in the right place

[CabbageCustard · 5/10 · 23 November 2018]

I expected a lot from this movie and was so disappointed. Yes, the locations are lovely and the elephants are delightful, but the acting is less than stellar and the plot just has so many dumb elements that my hand hurts from slapping my forehead. It all starts when the protagonist, Phoenix, on his first day in Africa, on his very first safari, wanders off alone into the veld, chasing a meerkat. When he realises his error, he of course decides to wander further rather than stay put - something most parents would teach their kids. Then, just to increase his chances of being spotted by a search party, he crawls into a cave and spends the night there. And so it goes on.

This isn't a bad movie. It just has very little to offer to adults. Kids should lap it up though and parents will enjoy watching it with them. And, I guess, if this movie has a role in alerting a new generation to the atrocity of ivory poaching, then it's not a total loss.

Good Intentions But That Can't Save This Movie

[larrys3 · 4/10 · 28 October 2018]

Good intentions by all concerned to bring attention to the horrors of elephant poaching in Africa. However,if I'm going to be honest here, the movie itself was just way too filled with head shakingly ridiculous plot elements and dialogue. Not to be mean, but the young lead Sam Ashe Arnold needs to take a few more acting classes. Overall, can't recommend.

This is a Kid's movie

[harelives · 4/10 · 9 April 2020]

I was disappointed with this one. I really hoped it'd be an amazing movie with great visuals and a story. But after about 10 minutes in to the movie, I badly wanted this to be a documentary rather than a feature film. Stupid decisions the characters make are just there for the progress but the logic is failed badly.

For kids I think this has some good vibe but not for adults.

"Oh boy!!!"

[kbfr-08187 · 3/10 · 15 May 2019]

Oh boy! The boy was so nice to his elephant boy! The elephant was such a smart boy! A good boy too! The big boy made big boy moves against the bad boys who were mean to all the boy elephants! If you enjoy the word boy over 100 times then this is definitely the movie for you. (They said the word "boy" exactly 136 times.)

Do not wast ur time to watch a stupid movie.

[manager-92503 · 1/10 · 14 December 2018]

Actors is very bad Don't lose it time it's nothing to watch 1

Unstoppable One

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 22 November 2018]

Phoenix (Sam Ashe Arnold) goes to South Africa to live with his Aunt Sarah (Elizabeth Hurley). While on a camera safari, he gets separate and battles elephant poachers.

This had a Disney-like plot except Old Yeller doesn't die in the end. Acting and plot were for kids. Might of had an appeal to nine-year kids from last century.

An African Adventure....

[davidnorthcote · 7/10 · 1 November 2018]

Overall a solid movie. Certainly no content that would be offensive to a young audience, I appreciate that. The elephants are the real stars and I enjoyed watching them very much. I can recommend this to parents and animals lovers of all ages.

MAybe children will like?

[loonymarine · 5/10 · 10 March 2019]

The acting is sub par but I liked how it was trying to raise awareness about elephant poaching and for not buying ivory products. I couldn't finish the movie.

Something different

[ccrashh-1 · 7/10 · 23 April 2018]

This is not a blockbuster. It's not a massive epic with explosions and CGI. It's a wonderful story, independently made, about a boy's experience in Africa and the elephant he encounters. The cinematography is excellent and the lead, Sam Ashe Arnold, puts in a moving performance. The story itself could be tighter, as well as the editing, but in spite of that, the story is engaging. The children in the audience seemed to enjoy the film very much.

Note: At our screening, there was an interview for the first 10 minutes with a gentleman who runs an elephant reserve in South Africa. Anyone who left might have missed the actual film entirely, so read the first review accordingly.

This is a great movie to introduce the plight of elephants in the wild and the dangers of poaching.

nice to see some animals

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 22 December 2021]

Newly orphaned Phoenix Wilder (Sam Ashe Arnold) travels to South Africa to live with his Aunt Sarah (Elizabeth Hurley). She runs a safari outfit with her husband Uncle Jack from his family compound. Elephants on the reserve are being hunted by illegal poachers. Phoenix gets lost while on an outing and befriends an elephant.

Phoenix surprising the poachers is a silly conceit. He has a slow-moving giant elephant with him. The poachers have to be dumb and blind to not see him coming. All of it is staged like a Disney kiddie show. It's always a little weird when a kid has to Home Alone the bad guys when the bad guys are geared for war. As for Uncle Jack, it's an unwelcome revelation. It muddies the simple morality without giving back something compelling. It's nice to see the animals but this is a bad kiddie movie.

Beautifully filmed story that delivers a poignant message about protecting elephants

[rannynm · 10/10 · 23 April 2018]

Phoenix Wilder and the Great Elephant Adventure is a movie about an orphaned kid named Phoenix Wilder, who goes to a strange new country, South Africa, to live with his aunt and uncle. Phoenix then gets lost in the South African savannah and finds and rescues an elephant from a gang of elephant poachers. He becomes friends with the elephant as they are both looking for their families and, together they take down the elephant poaching gang.

I really enjoyed that they use real elephants in this movie. I kept wondering how they trained them. I also like that they found a way to not have a single gun being shot throughout the entire film. A few of the scenes look like things are going to get violent, but then they don't. The scenery in this movie is amazing. There is so much wildlife! When Phoenix is on safari with his uncle, some of the scenes we see through his camera are absolutely fabulous. This film really makes me want to go to the South African savannah.

The three main characters in this movie are Phoenix Wilder (Sam Ashe Arnold), the orphan that gets lost, Aunt Sarah (Elizabeth Hurley), Phoenix's new guardian and Uncle Jack (Tertius Meintjes) Sarah's husband. The movie switches between following Phoenix to following Uncle Jack and Aunt Sarah. Phoenix is trying to survive, save his elephant friend's family and find help. The others are trying to find him and get him back home. Other characters are Blake Von Stein (Louis Minnaar), the villain who is the leader of the elephant poachers and Col. Ibori (Hlomla Dandala), the army commander that helps Jack and Sarah find Phoenix and chase the poachers.

My favorite scene is when Phoenix uses the elephant to attack the poachers. This scene is very funny because the poachers are just hanging out at their camp when suddenly a boy (Phoenix), riding an elephant, jumps out and rips apart their camp. My favorite character is Phoenix because he shows that kids can do mature stuff. Phoenix shows his survival skills throughout the entire film. The message of this movie is that elephants should be protected because they are smart and beautiful creatures. Over 3,000 elephants are killed every year by poachers taking part in the illegal ivory trade. If this continues, they will become extinct. Another message that this film delivers is that kids can survive if they believe in themselves.

I rate this film 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18. Younger kids might not understand the message of this film. I believe adults will like this movie too.

Reviewed by Damon F., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, visit kidsfirst dot org.

Solid movie, kids liked it.

[bobbunn · 7/10 · 30 October 2018]

Good family film for movie night. I can recommend this film to other parents, it's clean, and your kids should enjoy it.

This is a COMEDY, Right?

[bbzielke · 3/10 · 16 April 2021]

The Brilliance of this movie is: That 5 year OLDS will Love it and ADULTS will find it Hysterically Ridiculous!

Im sorry Elizabeth Hurley !!!

[rasLivity · 1/10 · 2 July 2022]

Im sorry Elizabeth, you cant save this movie!

Im a African elephant zookeeper for almost 10 years and this movie is so mind-numbingly dumb!! The elephant part of the movie makes me cry and my brain hurt! I know this is for kids...but, but really! I dont want to show this to any kid in the world, because i dont want that kids think that "wild" elephants (animals) act like this.

This movie is embarrassing! African elephant DONT have a family like humans! In the wild, there is NO mother-father-baby family group! OMG!

Just tell yourself is a children's movie.

[rockopicotrain · 2/10 · 7 August 2021]

I felt dumber for watching this "children's movie". The director and editor should be removed from the movie business for letting the word "boy" or "good boy" be uttered no less than 500 times in this film. Huley's performance was also very lackluster..

For kids.

[jfh-72320 · 5/10 · 9 February 2021]

Not exactly what I was expecting. Very sappy and much more for Disney kids or Nickelodeon.

Acting is mediocre at best. Or more so, the dialogue. Pretty over the top trying to be wholesome.

As soon as the boy flew all the way to Africa to live, with 1 roll-on bag, I knew it was not big budget. Amazing he had all the clothes he ever needs in that one bag, and a professional camera that would take up at least half that roll-on bag.

Family film on a serious subject

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 8 November 2018]

Young Sam Ashe Arnold gets an adventure of a lifetime when he journeys from Canada over to South Africa to visit his aunt Elizabeth Hurley and uncle Tertius Mientjes who are wardens on an animal preserve. One of their duties is to protect Africa's elephants from poachers.

On his first day their these two manage to misplace their nephew who gets lost on the veld. But he makes a friend of an elephant and the two of them in true Boy's Life fashion make fools out of gang of ivory poachers.

A bit of the old Fury TV series and a bit of the Jay North film Maya goes into Phoenix Wilder And The Great Elephant Adventure. It's a nice family film which broaches a serious subject about preserving the great herds of elephants from poachers lest they become extinct.

I'd see this one.

Decent family movie.

[weav-1 · 7/10 · 2 January 2019]

It's a fairly good movie. It's not as epic as it could have been, but it's worth a watch. I'd let my four year old watch it. There is violence, but it's mild in my opinion.

Education for the whole family

[tracylmaharris · 10/10 · 26 April 2018]

Phoenix Wilder is a great movie for the whole family to watch. We learned a lot about elephants, poaching and we were able to view some amazing scenery of Africa. Sam Ashe Arnold is wonderful in the role of Phoenix. Our family really enjoyed it - it was both educational and entertaining!

A Thanksgiving Surprise!

[jeffalbine · 9/10 · 28 November 2018]

We brought this home to watch as our Thanksgiving family film, everyone loved it! Even the cynical teenagers. How they got real elephant's to do all that amazes me. It was incredible to watch the elephants, they are the real stars here. 100% recommended!

Loved it!

[joemorton-55181 · 9/10 · 30 April 2018]

We really enjoyed this film. Great family film. Great message helping to raise awareness of African elephants and the ivory trade. Cinematography was very good as well. Thoroughly enjoyed it as a family.

What a fantastic way to introduce the growing concern of Elephant Poaching!

[curveswcn · 10/10 · 25 April 2018]

We had the opportunity to take in this movie on Earth Day, which was very fitting for the subject matter. This is a heartwarming movie about a very difficult topic of elephant poaching. My family and I really enjoyed it! The kids didn't stop watching even for a moment and it kept their full attention from start to end! Watching the interaction between Sam Ashe Arnold's character and the elephants was an absolute joy! My kids loved the other animals in the film as well! The cinematography was beautiful! Go see this movie, it will educate and entertain you!

Great Elephant Movie!

[johnhelm · 8/10 · 5 November 2018]

If you love elephants then you have to watch this movie. Not only does it inform about the elephant poaching crisis, but it allows you to see beautiful elephants in the African wild. They are majestic creatures. The story is engaging and well written, some nice twists and turns to keep the viewer interested. That is one lucky young actor that got to spend his time in Africa with the elephants!

Wow, just WOW!

[dougvicar · 8/10 · 3 November 2018]

The elephant's are amazing in this movie! I had no idea they were that smart. Tragic that such intelligent, majestic, animals are being killed for something as silly as their tusks. The relationship between the boy and the elephant is terrific. The scenery is also quite spectacular, makes me want to go to Africa and see elephants in the wild.

If you love elephant's, this movie is for you!

[robplatt · 9/10 · 30 October 2018]

I'm an elephant lover and I loved this movie! This is a fantastic adventure story, that highlights the tragedy of the elephant poaching crisis. I feel this is an important movie with an important message to share. The movie is also filled with a number of other African animals which was great to see.