It wasn’t groundbreaking, but it did manage to elicit empathy for the people involved, which is always something worthwhile. The performers really helped carry the movie. Bryan Cranston is consistently pleasant to watch, regardless of his character, and he delivers a heartfelt performance as Mack, as do Sam Rockwell playing Ivan and Angelina Jolie as Stella. I found Danny DeVito’s portrayal of Bob appealing, and Ariana Greenblatt does a good job with Julia's innocent nature. The basic storyline feels familiar—something audiences have encountered previously—so there’s an anticipation for the plot to kick in; things do pick up once that happens, leading to a genuinely moving conclusion. *The One and Only Ivan* seems like a good choice for families to watch together.

Source on TMDB