Give a big hand to this animation release for its bleeding heart and chuckling humour, as a big scary-looking grizzly bear (speaking in the amazing voice of Martin Lawrence) and a mulish deer (voice of Ashton Kutcher) give each other a run for their money.

Set in an isolated town, the film takes a look at the man-animal relationship through the unlikely bonding between the bear and deer, as the hunting season threatens to extinguish many four-legged lives.

The film gets its anxious energy from the voices that speak up for the animals. The animal kingdom is created through wonderful detailing. Every creature, big or small, populates the film's jungle with cool conviction.

Then there's the message of ecological well being, which is never slapped on. But still done with a slap-in-the-face celerity. Full marks to the film's creators for balancing a vision of a peaceful world with an adventure story that takes us forward at the speed of lightning.

See this film for its amazing synthesis of a sense and satire in a format that's delectable fantasia at the top and hugely relevant down below.