{"id":2582,"date":"2026-05-01T01:01:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T08:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/?p=2582"},"modified":"2026-05-01T12:13:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T19:13:07","slug":"swapped-super-weird-in-the-best-way-our-critics-weigh-in-on-swapped","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/2026\/swapped-super-weird-in-the-best-way-our-critics-weigh-in-on-swapped\/","title":{"rendered":"Swapped * Super Weird in the Best Way: Our Critics Weigh in on Swapped"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-2587\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/swapped.poster-203x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"122\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/swapped.poster-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/swapped.poster.jpg 473w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 122px) 100vw, 122px\" \/>A buddy comedy about a small woodland creature (voiced by Academy Award-winning Michael B. Jordan) and a majestic bird (voiced by Juno Temple) \u2014 natural sworn enemies of The Valley \u2014 who suddenly swap bodies and must team up (while walking in each other\u2019s feathers and fur) to survive the wildest adventure of their lives.<\/p>\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Drake G. comments, \u201cI really enjoy the movie <em>Swapped<\/em>. The characters are beautifully drawn and engaging. It is a fresh take on the swapping concept and a very imaginative way for characters from two different worlds to understand where each other comes from, or to \u201cwalk a mile in each other\u2019s shoes.\u201d Junior R. adds, \u201cWhoa, Swapped is super weird in the BEST way possible\u2014I love it! I seriously didn\u2019t expect to like it this much, but the animal body-swapping makes everything totally chaotic and hilarious. It\u2019s hysterical because the characters act so ridiculously in each other\u2019s bodies, and the animation looks awesome the whole time. It even has some emotional parts that kind of snuck up on me. Swapped is wild, funny, and actually has some heart.\u201d Ari C. wraps it up with, \u201cThis film is amazing. The voice acting is terrific &#8212; Michal B. Jordan captures the emotions and complexities of his character wonderfully; it almost feels as if he\u2019s truly just a small creature trying to right his wrongs.\u201d See their full reviews below.<\/p>\n<p>Swapped<br \/>\nBy Drake G., KIDS First Film Critic, age 13<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Swapped: A Deep Dive with Drake G.\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aq3hsvV9oI4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2586\" style=\"width: 262px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2586\" class=\" wp-image-2586\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SWAPPED-161-300x162.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"252\" height=\"136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SWAPPED-161-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SWAPPED-161.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-2586\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SWAPPED &#8211; A buddy comedy about a small woodland creature (voiced by Academy Award-winning Michael B. Jordan) and a majestic bird (voiced by Juno Temple) cr: Skydance Animation\/Netflix \u00a92026 Skydance Animation<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I really enjoy the movie <em>Swapped<\/em>. The characters are beautifully drawn and engaging. It is a fresh take on the swapping concept and a very imaginative way for characters from two different worlds to understand where each other comes from, or to \u201cwalk a mile in each other\u2019s shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The story follows a woodland creature, Ollie (Michael B. Jordan), who attempts to befriend a beautiful and colorful bird, Ivy (Juno Temple). As a kind gesture, he offers her some of the food that he and his family enjoy. Soon after, his father shares that the food source is running low and that they will not likely survive. Ollie and Ivy swap bodies, and they begin an adventure that helps them uncover secrets of the forest and bring the animals together.<\/p>\n<p>I love the storyline and message of <em>Swapped<\/em>. In the village, each of the animals is isolated and congregates in separate groups.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2591\" style=\"width: 262px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2591\" class=\" wp-image-2591\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SWAPPED-090-300x162.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"252\" height=\"136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SWAPPED-090-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SWAPPED-090.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-2591\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SWAPPED &#8211; A buddy comedy about a small woodland creature (voiced by Academy Award-winning Michael B. Jordan) and a majestic bird (voiced by Juno Temple) cr: Skydance Animation\/Netflix \u00a92026 Skydance Animation<\/p><\/div>\n<p>However, as Ollie and Ivy navigate their quest to find a way to return to their bodies, they learn that they need each other. While these creatures would likely have conflict in the real world, together they uncover and demonstrate that they are stronger together. There is an emphasis on the importance of not judging a character by the type of animal it is, but instead taking a moment to \u201cwalk in their shoes\u201d and learn about who they are. In addition to the talented actors who play the main characters, Tracy Morgan plays Boogle, a seemingly endearing and kind fish who initially befriends Ollie and Ivy and gains their trust. Tracy Morgan is extremely versatile as he transitions from a playful fish to a more sinister role. I especially appreciate the honest dialogue when Ivy pointedly asks Ollie whether he does not trust her, and because of earlier events, he admits that he does not. I like how the characters experience opportunities to grow and develop.<\/p>\n<p>The film\u2019s message is to avoid rushing to judge and to consider partnering with others instead of allowing biases or past experiences to shape future relationships. Throughout the story, there is some mild violence, including a few chase scenes that could potentially be upsetting to younger children.<\/p>\n<p>I give <em>Swapped<\/em> 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12. <em>Swapped<\/em> is available for streaming on Netflix beginning May 1, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Swapped<br \/>\nBy Junior R., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Junior R. reviews Swapped\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6p-mGaelH0I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2589\" style=\"width: 258px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2589\" class=\" wp-image-2589\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPE070_Annecy-300x162.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"248\" height=\"134\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPE070_Annecy-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SPE070_Annecy.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 248px) 100vw, 248px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-2589\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">POOKOO &#8211; When two natural sworn enemies of The Valley, a small woodland creature and a majestic bird, magically trade places&#8230; Cr: Skydance Animation\/Netflix \u00a9 2025<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Whoa, <em>Swapped<\/em> is super weird in the BEST way possible\u2014I love it! I seriously didn\u2019t expect to like it this much, but the animal body-swapping makes everything totally chaotic and hilarious. It\u2019s hysterical because the characters act so ridiculously in each other\u2019s bodies, and the animation looks awesome the whole time. It even has some emotional parts that kind of snuck up on me. <em>Swapped<\/em> is wild, funny, and actually has some heart.<\/p>\n<p><em>Swapped<\/em> is about a tiny woodland creature named Ollie (Michael B. Jordan), who is a Pookoo, and a majestic bird named Ivy (Juno Temple), who is a Javan, and they accidentally switch bodies. The problem is\u2026they\u2019re basically enemies. Now they have to survive in the valley while stuck in each other\u2019s bodies. As they try to switch back, they go on a crazy adventure and start to understand each other.<\/p>\n<p>The animation is, honestly, so cool\u2014it\u2019s super colorful and looks almost like a nature documentary, but it&#8217;s way more exciting and exotic. The characters are really beautiful too.<\/p>\n<p>Even though they\u2019re mystical creatures like Pookoos and Javans, they have so much detail that they feel real. The funniest part is how Ollie and Ivy still act like themselves after switching bodies\u2014so, watching them struggle is hilarious. Michael B. Jordan and Juno Temple make the perfect voices for these two characters.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2595\" style=\"width: 262px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2595\" class=\" wp-image-2595\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SWAPPED-234-300x162.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"252\" height=\"136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SWAPPED-234-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SWAPPED-234.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-2595\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SWAPPED &#8211; A buddy comedy about a small woodland creature (voiced by Academy Award-winning Michael B. Jordan) and a majestic bird (voiced by Juno Temple) cr: Skydance Animation\/Netflix \u00a92026 Skydance Animation<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The valley has awesome settings like sky, water, and even some intense fire scenes. There\u2019s also a fish named Boogle (Tracy Morgan), who adds mystery and humor, and you will just have to watch the film to understand him. My favorite part is when Ollie tries flying for the first time\u2014it\u2019s a total mess but also kind of inspiring.<\/p>\n<p>The film\u2019s message is about understanding others and not judging too quickly. It shows that even enemies can learn from each other. It\u2019s positive without feeling preachy and it makes you want to be kinder. There are a few intense moments and risky situations, but nothing too scary. <em>Swapped <\/em>hits all of the emotions while leaving you on the edge of your seat.<\/p>\n<p>I give <em>Swapped<\/em> 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 12, plus adults. You can watch <em>Swapped<\/em> on Netflix starting May 1, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Swapped<br \/>\nBy Ari C. KIDS FIRST! Film Critics, age 13<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Swapped | Official Trailer | Netflix\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/glgmAwRDP8s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2592\" style=\"width: 258px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2592\" class=\" wp-image-2592\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SWAPPED-343-300x162.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"248\" height=\"134\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SWAPPED-343-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SWAPPED-343.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 248px) 100vw, 248px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-2592\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SWAPPED &#8211; A buddy comedy about a small woodland creature (voiced by Academy Award-winning Michael B. Jordan) and a majestic bird (voiced by Juno Temple) cr: Skydance Animation\/Netflix \u00a92026 Skydance Animation<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I love Swapped. It is wonderful from every angle, but what stands out to me the most is the fantastic voice acting, the terrific animation, the entrancing storyline, and the amazing morals.<\/p>\n<p>This story follows a woodland creature named Ollie (Michael B. Jordan) who blames himself for his civilization\u2019s downfall, and a bird named Ivy (Juno Temple) who is seen as annoying and controlling, when she\u2019s just trying to be a good big sister. When a freak accident happens forcing them to walk in each other&#8217;s shoes, they must find a magical bud to return to their homes. As they embark on a journey through \u201cThe Valley,\u201d they make new friends like Boogle, a large fish (Cedric The Entertainer), and new enemies like the fire wolf (Cedric The Entertainer), the main antagonist of the film.<\/p>\n<p>This film is amazing. The voice acting is terrific &#8212; Michael B. Jordan captures the emotions and complexities of his character wonderfully; it almost feels as if he\u2019s truly just a small creature trying to right his wrongs.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2585\" style=\"width: 264px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2585\" class=\" wp-image-2585\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Swapped_u_00_46_53_02-300x162.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"254\" height=\"137\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Swapped_u_00_46_53_02-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Swapped_u_00_46_53_02.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 254px) 100vw, 254px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-2585\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SWAPPED &#8211; A buddy comedy about a small woodland creature (voiced by Michael B. Jordan) and a majestic bird (voiced by Juno Temple) Cr: Skydance Animation\/NETFLIX \u00a92026 Skydance Animation<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Juno Temple expertly portrays a big sister trying to do right. And Cedric The Entertainer perfectly voices both of his roles, sounding like an innocent fish looking for a friend, and then capturing the cruelty of the fire wolf. The animation is fantastic. I watched in complete awe of the bright colors and abstract art style. Thom Roberts, the lead animator of this film, pours his soul into its animation. The entire animation department has really made a masterpiece with this movie. The storyline had me looping; I was excited, scared, happy and even cried. The script is awesome with twists and turns that had me spinning. I would think I knew what was going to happen, but it turned out I had no idea. The morals of the story are amazing &#8212; they really stick with me, and I believe they\u2019ll resonate with others as well. My favorite part is when all the animals come together. This part gave me a deep sense of hope that one day humanity will join hands like that.<\/p>\n<p>The film\u2019s message is that sometimes we must put aside our differences for the greater good, and it also reminds us that together we can get past any obstacle.<\/p>\n<p>I give Swapped 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. You can find it on Netflix beginning May 1, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A buddy comedy about a small woodland creature (voiced by Academy Award-winning Michael B. Jordan) and a majestic bird (voiced by Juno Temple) \u2014 natural sworn enemies of The Valley \u2014 who suddenly swap bodies and must team up (while walking in each other\u2019s feathers and fur) to survive the wildest adventure of their lives.<br \/>\nKIDS FIRST! Film Critic Drake G. comments, \u201cI really enjoy the movie Swapped. The characters are beautifully drawn and engaging. It is a fresh take on the swapping concept and a very imaginative way for characters from two different worlds to understand where each other comes from, or to \u201cwalk a mile in each other\u2019s shoes.\u201d Junior R. adds, \u201cWhoa, Swapped is super weird in the BEST way possible\u2014I love it! I seriously didn\u2019t expect to like it this much, but the animal body-swapping makes everything totally chaotic and hilarious. It\u2019s hysterical because the characters act so ridiculously in each other\u2019s bodies, and the animation looks awesome the whole time. It even has some emotional parts that kind of snuck up on me. Swapped is wild, funny, and actually has some heart.\u201d Ari C. wraps it up with, \u201cThis film is amazing. The voice acting is terrific &#8212; Michal B. Jordan captures the emotions and complexities of his character wonderfully; it almost feels as if he\u2019s truly just a small creature trying to right his wrongs.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[2930,2920,2934,2937,2936,305,278,2919,2931,2925,2924,2923,2929,2916,1195,2935,2921,2926,2892,220,2927,2932,2933,2928,2917,2922,2918],"class_list":["post-2582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-film-critics-blog","tag-adam-karp","tag-ambika-mod","tag-animated-movie","tag-animated-movies-for-kid","tag-animated-movies-for-kids-on-netflix","tag-animation","tag-by-kids-for-kids","tag-cedric-the-entertainer","tag-christian-magalhaes","tag-dana-goldberg","tag-david-ellison","tag-john-lasseter","tag-john-whittington","tag-juno-temple","tag-justina-machado","tag-kids-movie","tag-lolly-adefope","tag-mary-ellen-bauder-andrews","tag-michael-b-jordan","tag-movie-reviews","tag-nathan-greno","tag-robert-snow","tag-siddharta-khosla","tag-skydance-animation","tag-swapped","tag-tata-vega","tag-tracy-morgan"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2582"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2582\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2601,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2582\/revisions\/2601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/juror\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}