A venomous shrew fakes being a panda. Nature's most unhinged identity theft.
Donnie, a cynical but lovable Cuban solenodon, takes on an outrageous mission: to avoid extinction by rebranding himself as a panda — one of the world’s most beloved endangered species. Alongside an eccentric band of equally overlooked animals, Donnie’s wild journey evolves into a heist-fueled, action-packed tale of identity, belonging and survival.
Acting
Rylance's reptilian melancholy steals every scene he's in.
Direction
Rodriguez's Looney Tunes pacing meets existential dread.
Writing
Panda cosplay as metaphor hits harder than expected.
Director
Octavio E. Rodriguez
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Cuban solenodons are genuinely venomous mammals with venomous saliva—rare detail the animators insisted on including in Donnie's 'panda' fight scene.
The film's 'charismatic megafauna' critique directly mirrors real conservation funding disparities—pandas received $253M in 2020 while solenodons got roughly $12K.
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