The film follows a small, male, Mexican parrot named Cuco. Cuco and his family are part of a well-known circus, but Cuco is sick of being in the family business; instead, he would rather become an ultimate crime fighter. When Cuco isn’t working with the family circus, he enjoys watching his favourite superhero on TV known as El Americano, a crime fighter capable of incredible stunts.

But when an old villain returns to the surface threatening Cuco’s father and expressing his desire to own the circus for himself, Cuco refuses to be defeated by the villain and see his family pushed around. His family need help quickly, and he decides the only man for the job is El Americano himself. Cuco flies to Hollywood and attempts to recruit the ultimate crime fighter. Thankfully, he will not go on this journey alone. He will be joined by his close friends and meet a few new characters along the way. Perhaps, Cuco will even make some personal discoveries about himself while travelling.

As a plot, it didn’t take me long to understand the type of audience this film is aimed for. This film is most certainly pleasing for a much younger audience. The characters are fine, but they are all rather childish in their mannerisms and tone. Even though the film has a plot, many moments have characters that get sidetracked or attempt making jokes. The jokes and dialogue are incredibly childish from start to finish, making it a painful experience for adult audiences.

The voice work is fine for the most part, but I especially found the villain voiced by Cheech Marin very satisfying. Visually I also enjoyed the look of some of the birds on screen, including the lead, but again, the villain was the most creative to look at. The animation is pretty basic as it attempts to focus more on its key characters, and elements such as backgrounds do look cheap and basic compared to the rest of the film.

Overall, while I don’t find this type of film pleasing, I can’t deny that it certainly has its audiences and it is best suited for a much younger age. For the most part, the visuals are extremely basic, and elements such as backgrounds are weak and vague. The voice-over by actor Cheech Marin who plays the film’s villain, is most definitely the best element of this film. Thankfully, the okay plot delivers a positive as we witness the parrot going on the ultimate journey of discovering a hero that can be found within himself.

3.7/10