Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara, based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 8+
Animal interaction elevates perilous Amazon adventure.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Autumn and the Black Jaguar is a family-friendly eco-adventure centering on the friendship between a teen girl named Autumn (Lumi Pollack) and a wildcat she befriended when they were both younger. When the jaguar ends up in danger, Autumn is inspired to help by both her late mother's activism and her own desire to make a difference, but she makes some iffy decisions in the process—including lying to her dad and hopping on a flight to South America without his knowledge. She can also be defiant and disrespectful to authority, but she faces consequences for that in the classroom, and the same qualities end up helping her when she encounters animal traffickers. Her teacher, who spontaneously accompanies her on her journey, has agoraphobia and OCD; while her diagnosis isn't played for laughs, her reaction to trying to manage it under the circumstances is the film's primary source of comedy. Autumn, her teacher, and the jaguar end up in significant peril, both from the elements (including a snake) and from poachers hunting them with tranquilizer guns. Guns are also drawn in a stand-off scene, and there are a couple of instances of mild language ("who the hell," "give a damn"). Kids will likely love the movie's scenes of child and teen Autumn playing and cuddling with real jaguars, which filmmakers Gilles and Prune de Maistre (Mia and the White Lion, The Wolf and the Lion) achieved by obtaining the animals from breeders in Mexico, where exotic animal trade is legal, and imprinting them with the actors they would work with. The cats now reside in a sanctuary, where the filmmakers say they're providing for their care until the natural end of the animals' lives.
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Violence & Scariness
some
The film's purpose is to educate kids about the potentially upsetting topics of animal trafficking and deforestation occurring in the Amazon rainforest. A teen and her teacher are in peril, sometimes from poachers trying to capture the animals at any cost and sometimes from natural elements, like a python rising up and hissing. Poachers have tranquilizer guns, and villains and police draw guns (pistols, rifles) during a standoff. Animals are shown being sold. A surprised wildcat scratches a teen, which appears painful and requires medical treatment (not much blood is shown). Kidnapping. Threats. A 7-year-old gets separate from her parents but doesn't appear worried or scared. Main character's mother is dead (happened before the movie takes place). Frustrated characters speak to each other with a harsh tone.
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Language
a little
Infrequent use of phrases such as "give a damn," "who the hell," and "oh my God."
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
very little
Indigenous Amazonian men wear loincloths that leave the sides of their buttocks exposed. A couple holds hands.
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Positive Messages
a lot
Protecting the Amazon is essential to all of our survival, and it starts with you. Don't let your fears stop you from living your life. Themes of compassion, integrity, and perseverance.
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Positive Role Models
a lot
Autumn is passionate about protecting animals, but her methods put her in danger. She's expelled from school, lies to her father, talks back to teachers and her father, and hops on an international flight alone. But she also shows herself to be capable. Her teacher demonstrates deep integrity and responsibility, going above and beyond to try to protect Autumn and get her home to her dad, even in the face of her own mental health difficulties. Chief Oré and his tribe demonstrate courage in protesting building in the Amazon and animal trafficking practices that are illegal but not enforced. Autumn's mother is a brave activist.
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Educational Value
some
Information (relayed in a visual, memorable way) about the fact that wild animals in the Amazon are being captured and sold. Builds awareness of deforestation in the Amazon and its potential impact. A lesson that imitating a big cat shows that you aren't a threat. Demonstration and explanation of how animals provide emotional support for humans, in some cases even allowing them to interact with the world.
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Diverse Representations
some
Much of the movie takes place in a fictional city in the Amazon (filmed in Mexico). Some characters are from a fictional Indigenous Amazon Amerindian tribe, and the movie's depiction of aspects of their culture, customs, and language—as well as the challenges they face—is similar to those of some real-life tribes. Their portrayal as brave activists lacks some nuance but is intended positively. Miss Shimmer is a self-described agoraphobe with OCD; her diagnosis isn't comical, but her struggle to overcome it to help keep Autumn safe is humorous. Main character Autumn is played by an actor with South American roots. The villain is a powerful businesswoman.
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Autumn and the Black Jaguar
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What's the Story?
In AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR, eight years have passed since Autumn (Lumi Pollack) and her father, Saul (Paul Greene), left the Amazon for New York after a tragic loss. When Autumn learns that Hope, a black jaguar cub she befriended as a child, is being targeted by poachers, the girl impulsively returns to the rainforest to get the jaguar to the safety of a wildlife sanctuary. She's joined by her agoraphobic biology teacher, Miss Shimmer (Emily Bett Rickards), who doesn't have time to stop the teen from getting on the plane and so grabs a seat on the same flight to protect her. Once in the Amazon, they work with the (fictional) Indigenous Amerindian tribe that Autumn's family used to live with to help Hope and fight against deforestation, poaching, and animal trafficking.
Is It Any Good?
Filmmakers Gilles and Prune de Maistre are committed to inspiring young people to create change, and here they incorporate a new element into their work: laughter. Messages are often driven home more effectively with humor, and, in Autumn and the Black Jaguar, the de Maistres mix a serious topic—the existential threat of deforestation and animal trafficking in the Amazon—with comic relief in the form of Miss Shimmer. She suffers from agoraphobia and OCD, using a disabled hedgehog (which uses a wagon to get around) as an emotional support animal. The hedgehog's antics are a mix of cute and funny, and Rickards' comedic chops take the edge off of the film's earnestness. While her diagnosis isn't played for laughs, the movie's tone still sometimes feels off balance, as if Miss Shimmer is in a comedy and everyone else is in a drama (the classroom scenes feel so much like a Disney Channel series that it's shocking not to hear a laugh track). That might be a bit off-putting to adults, but for kids and tweens, there's a lot here that works.
Kids tend to enjoy seeing other kids in aspirational-fantasy situations, and having a wild animal as a best friend tops the list for for many. Autumn plays and snuggles with jaguar Hope, and the wishfulness of it all works to transfer her passion to viewers. That's worthwhile, because human intervention is needed to stop the decline of jaguar populations caused by human interference. But a scene in which a White American evangelizes to Indigenous Amazon people about why they need to get involved to stop deforestation and animal trafficking is cringe-inducing. Still, the de Maistres—who are are devoted to making movies about protecting animals and inspiring children to see ways in which they can contribute to making positive change in the world—appear to be well-intentioned. And they do seem to be learning better with each film they make how to effectively communicate information about a dire problem to kids without too much harsh reality.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why deforestation in the Amazon is an issue for the entire world. What message does Autumn and the Black Jaguar share about this issue?
Animal movies often feature a kid developing a friendship with a wild animal, including scenes of their playful, loving interactions. What is viewers' typical emotional response to this, and why do you think it works so consistently? How do you think the scenes with Autumn and the adult jaguar were filmed?
What makes movies (and other media) persuasive? Why do you think that many filmmakers believe that reaching kids and their parents will make the most impact? What did you learn?
The filmmakers obtained the jaguars in this film (and other animals for their other films) from breeders in countries where animal trade is legal, used them for filming with a purpose of educating audiences (they weren't trained, and the director says he filmed around the animals' natural inclination to sleep, play, and splash in the water), and then placed them permanently into a wildlife sanctuary in their natural habitat (since animals bred in captivity are unlikely to survive in the wild). How do you feel about this practice/approach?
Since it's not explicitly said in the film, families may want to talk about how complex emotions, such as grief over the loss of a parent, sometimes result in kids acting out. What are some positive ways to deal with complicated feelings?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 17, 2025
- Cast : Lumi Pollack, Emily Bett Rickards, Wayne Charles Baker
- Director : Gilles de Maistre
- Studio : Blue Fox Entertainment
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Activism, Science and Nature, Wild Animals
- Character Strengths : Compassion, Courage, Integrity, Perseverance
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating : PG
- MPAA explanation : thematic material, violent content, peril and some language
- Last updated : January 15, 2025
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