'Swapped' Review
- Connor Petrey
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Release Date: 05/01/26 [Netflix]
Genre: Adventure. Animation. Comedy. Family. Fantasy.
MPAA: Rated PG.
Distributor: Netflix.
The Verdict: A Must-See
From the Director of Tangled comes a delightfully cute story about coming to terms with the world around you and understanding that some things might be more than their first impressions.Â
Dazzlingly beautiful animation from Skydance Animation, creating a magical world that offers one of the most stunning pieces of landscape animations Netflix has released. This quality, surrounded by a quirky and heartfelt story that understands in the same breath how to strike a tear and conjure a chuckle.Â
The mythological fable told from the jump of gigantic tree saviors rivaling the demonic fire wolves, forcing the positive light to evade total destruction. It's an alluring tale that launches the idea that brings about all the mayhem after one fateful touch.
It’s difficult not to smile throughout the film, especially once the characters have their time in the sun to fully be realized. Juno Temple and Michael B. Jordan work smoothly off one another as Ollie (a tiny woodland creature) and Ivy (a majestic bird) to create an animated friendship for the ages as more behind their initial feelings toward one another comes to light. However the true highlight is Tracy Morgan as a silly friend of the water, Boogle, providing a voice to the character that envelops more than his typical antics.
With some heavy animated hitters in recent years including hits like The Wild Robot and K-Pop Demon Hunters, Swapped stands out in 2026 for it's rich colors and emotional draw. It'll pop for family audiences and bring a bit of that cutesy charm that Pixar and DreamWorks of old used to bring to the table.