Hi, I'm Ivan.
I'm a gorilla.
It's not as easy as it looks.
You'll see.
Out this window is the billboard for my show.
I'm the headliner. Which means I'm the star.
I look pretty ferocious, don't I?
I'm never really angry, but I can pretend.
That's my job.
For 20 years humans have come from miles around to visit me
at the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade at exit eight.
And this is our tent, where we perform inside the mall.
It's pretty unique?
Welcome, one and all!
Step right up!
- Our show will commence in five minutes! - Five.
This is Mack. I've known him for as long as I can remember.
He's a little bit of a ham.
I thank you all for coming! Hello there!
I'm not sure the accent's foolin' anyone.
Welcome to the littlest big top on Earth!
Prepare yourselves for the most marvelously majestic animal show,
the likes of which you have never seen!
Introducing Henrietta!
The best baseball-playing chicken you've ever seen.
The batter is now approaching the plate.
She's got incredible beak-eye coordination.
That's my girl!
Home run!
Frankie, the seal!
I will not drop the ball. I'm gonna drop the ball.
He's a little, neurotic.
I'm gonna drop the ball.
But his act is always perfect.
Well done!
I didn't drop the ball!
- Here he comes. - Murphy!
Rabbit in a fire truck!
Whee!
Murphy's always a big hit with the kids.
Now, the queen of the Big Top, Stella!
Stella is my oldest and wisest friend.
She's been performing since before I was born.
She knows more than I'll ever know.
Now, where's my favorite poodle gone?
There's my cue.
Snickers brings a lot of class to the show.
I love an audience. Best part of the day.
Up you go, girl!
They nail their routine every time.
- Come on, Snickers. Let's do this. - Okay, Stella. Ready when you are.
- Trunk up! - There you go.
Magic.
- And this guy... - Hey, pal.
Is my best buddy.
He's not supposed to be here, but he...
He sure makes himself at home.
Now, the moment you've all been waiting for.
I don't do any tricks. Mack says it's enough for me to be me.
But I'm the headliner, so I come on last.
You've heard of the legend...
Sounds like a lot of pressure, I know, but I love my job.
See him for yourselves!
Wait for it, wait for it...
The one and only Ivan!
Watch this.
I always get the kids.
And then a little chest thump.
That's pretty impressive?
The one and only Ivan!
And this is Julia.
She comes by my domain every night because her father, George, works here.
She could sit anywhere, but she always chooses to sit by me.
I think she likes me.
- What do you think, Ivan? - How about that?
That's the real me right there.
Hey, Jules, that's a good one.
- Thank you. - Yeah.
George, your girl's got some serious talent.
She gets it from her mother.
Yeah, how's Sarah doing?
She has her good days and bad days.
And these things, they take time.
Yeah.
Jules,
why don't you go buy yourself some new crayons?
You don't need to do that, Mack.
No, I... I'd like to.
What do you say, Julia?
- Thank you so much. - You're welcome.
Go quick, all right? We gotta get going.
School's out soon. Things always pick up then.
Yeah. It'll pick up.
Yeah.
This ain't good, kid.
This won't even begin to cover food and rent.
We gotta pack 'em in again. Get the excitement back, you know?
If we don't, it's over.
Then what are we gonna do?
Great.
Asking a gorilla for advice.
"Get the excitement back"?
Don't you just love the moon, with its untroubled smile?
I prefer the sun.
I love the feel of sun on my belly.
It is an impressive belly, my friend.
- Thank you. - Somebody loves sleeping on it.
You know, the first night he snuck in here he was half this size.
He was adorable. I dreamt I ate a furry doughnut.
Stella, you remember when this place was packed with people?
Three shows a day. Standing room only.
I remember.
You think it's not like that anymore because of me?
Do you think I've lost my edge?
I mean, if they want an angry gorilla, I can still be that.
Why do they want an angry gorilla anyway?
I think humans like us one way.
And gorillas they see as angry.
My father used to say, "Anger is precious.
Use it to keep order and warn others of danger."
But here, there's no one to protect.
Sometimes it's hard to roar for no reason.
I know.
I didn't touch the kibble. It wasn't me.
Hi.
- Hi. . Hi.
Are you guys talking about me?
'Cause whatever it is, I didn't do it.
No.
Back to my dream.
Tasty.
Well, don't worry, you'll see.
I'm the headliner. I got this.
I'm gonna fix the show.
Yes.
You will, my friend.
You are the headliner.
Let's give 'em a great show, okay?
We're in this together, kid. I know we can turn this around.
That's my boy.
All right, curtain up in ten minutes.
- All right, Murph. Showtime. - It's all under control.
It's all under control.
Do the words "Bird for sale" mean anything to you? Do they?
- "Bird for sale"? - Yeah, well, just remember that.
- That is our show. - Nailed it.
I hope you enjoyed yourselves.
- Still, not a lot of people out there. - Thank you. Ta-ta!
Ivan!
I have something for you.
Sometimes when I'm drawing, I see you watching me.
I just got some new crayons.
So, I thought maybe you'd like my old ones?
Here.
They're a little broken.
- You good? - Yeah.
All right. Let's go, honey.
Good night, Ivan.
Good night, Uncle Mack!
Night.
What are you gonna do with that?
I'm not sure.
I'd probably eat it.
- It's a crayon. - I know it's a crayon.
Listen.
- It's raining kibble up there. - I'm starvin'.
- Don't you wish you could have some? - It's like a dream come true.
Let's hope he's not hangin' around tonight.
All right. See you in the morning, Snickers.
Bingo.
- You better hide. - He's never gonna catch me.
He's comin'. You're skating on thin ice, buddy.
That dog!
- Castello! - I told ya.
Castello!
Yeah, Mack, what's up?
What's up?
My blood pressure.
Are you kidding me?
How many times have I gotta tell you to get that mutt outta here?
Look, your job is to keep our animals in their cages
and all other animals out!
The last thing we need around here is another mouth to feed.
You got it, Mack. It's under control.
- It's all under control. - Sure it is.
Under control. It's all under control.
Ha.
Loser.
Crayons.
What would I draw anyway?
Hello, Mr. Beetle.
Wha...
- What is it? A flying cow? - No.
- Is it a hand? - Nah.
- Hands are so tough to get right. - Really?
- Is it Tennessee? - No.
- Kansas. - Boy.
- Is that me? - Wh-What?
- Did you draw a picture of me? - No.
- I know! It's a burrito. - No, it's not a burrito. It's a...
No, no, no. Don't tell me. Don't tell me. Don't tell me.
It's a lonely haystack on a late summer day.
It's a beetle.
A beetle? I never would've guessed.
A beetle. Right, there are the legs. I see the legs.
- Thanks for the raisins. - You're welcome.
- Here, you want one? - You know I can't eat raisins.
- Morning, Mike. - Mack.
- What's going on? - I might have better luck at the galleria.
No, Mike. That's a mistake. That's a... That's a big mistake.
Things will be picking up around here in no time.
You know, it's ebb and flow.
I know all about the ebb. I haven't seen the flow in a while.
Yeah.
Well, good luck.
You too.
And that is our show. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
Please, do remember to tell your friends.
If you please? And thank you again for coming.
Ta-ta.
Ho! This is the game changer we've been waiting for.
"Made my day"? You've made my year!
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll see you in the morning.
And thank you.
Hey, Ivan. My heart's still racing from your show.
- Really? - Yeah, I mean, that was real rage, right?
Whatcha do, stick pins in your feet?
No. I was acting.
What? You should be teaching a class.
Thanks, man.
Look what I drew.
- What's this? - Aw, look at that.
I know you're not really meant to be here,
but now you're not just any dog.
You have a name.
- Bob. - That's nice.
A little presumptuous, don't you think?
What's "presumptuous" mean?
Whoa.
- Dad, come look at this! - Here comes the old man.
Get outta here.
Look what Ivan drew.
Look at that. He made a little scribble?
It's not a scribble.
It's a beetle.
He drew a beetle.
Well, I guess you need an artist's eye to see it?
Like yours?
- You ready to go home to Mom? - Yeah.
All right, say your good nights.
Night, Ivan.
Night, Bob.
Did you call the little dog "Bob"?
Yeah, that's his name.
"Bob"?
Why do they think they can go around naming everything?
If she weren't so cute, I'd nip her on the nose.
This is gonna be exciting. Today is the day!
You wanna come with me, Snickers?
- Where're they going? - All right.
Curiosity killed the cat, but fed the dog.
Operation Kibble, go!
We're in.
There it is.
Kibble. Alone at last.
Whoa. That feels good.
Soft.
So this is how it feels.
So relaxing.
Ooh!
Was that me?
She won't mind. Okay, where was I?
Now we're talking.
Yeah.
Enjoying yourself?
Hey, Snickers, you're back.
Time for a shampoo?
That you're never gonna see.
Come on.
Why don't you just give in to domesticity?
'Cause I... I like my freedom, thank you very much.
May I?
Well, then, you'll just have to keep on eating leftovers and sleeping on cement.
I never sleep on cement.
I sleep on Ivan.
Speaking of which, I gotta go get him pumped up for the show.
- No, there is no show. - What?
- The show's been canceled. - Why?
Well, there's a new animal being delivered.
Don't tell anyone. They might get upset.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is just between you and me.
Ivan! The show's canceled!
- Canceled? - New animal being delivered.
New animal on the way! New animal is coming!
Hey, a new animal, Stella.
- A new animal? - Yeah!
You've gotta love him.
Henrietta, Murphy, we got a new friend coming.
- Ooh! - Hey, party time.
- Where're we gonna put him? - Keep that ball in the air, Frankie.
We got a new animal comin'.
Like I'm not under enough pressure.
Hey, Ivan, could be another gorilla.
- You think? - Maybe it's a new species.
Flying squirrels or singing mice.
In that thing?
Here it is. It's a big day!
A big day. Come on, let's open it up.
Am I being replaced?
Frankie, you can't be replaced. You've got a unique talent.
Thank you.
Ooh.
Wow.
I hate surprises. I can't look.
Hi there.
Aren't you the cutest little thing?
Hi. Yes.
I'm starting to like this animal.
George?
I think I'm gonna need some help.
Yeah, look at that, George. She knows what to do.
That's right, Stella.
A baby.
Aw.
You see that?
Hey there. How you doin'?
Look at Stella. I knew she'd do it.
Great job, honey.
I was hoping for a lady bunny.
Hey.
- That's amazing. - It's a great idea, Mack.
Yeah, and I got her cheap too. From a bankrupt circus in New Jersey.
- Everybody loves baby animals. - Yeah.
Welcome to your new home.
Her name is Ruby.
She's never performed,
but she's gonna turn this show around in no time.
Look at her.
She's just what we needed.
Bless you.
Ruby, Ruby. So sweet, so sweet.
Cutie patootie.
She is the cutest.
Does she have any talent,
or are they just gonna put her in a fire truck like you?
Hey! Watch it, chicken.
She's gonna turn this show around?
- Are you a monkey? - Am I a what?
Are you a monkey?
What are you... No, I'm a gorilla.
Where are the other gorillas?
There are no other gorillas.
Well... who's that?
That's Not-Tag. Don't touch her. She's not real.
Why is she named Not-Tag?
It's a long story.
- Ooh, I love stories! - I'm sure you do, but I'm-I'm busy.
You don't look busy.
Looks are deceiving.
I'm sorry there are no other gorillas.
Well, I'm not. 'Cause it's always just been me.
"The One and Only Ivan." That's what it says on the billboard.
Ivan's always been the headliner here.
You hear that? The headliner.
Wow! Why?
Because he's a silverback. He terrifies humans.
You're not terrifying.
Yeah, I am. I'm very scary.
So, you know, run along,
before I start thumping and roaring with rage.
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for.
Hey, hey, hey. I'm not finished.
Our new headliner.
What?
Introducing the new addition to the family, Ruby!
Aw!
- Hello, Ruby. - She's coming towards us.
Go, Ruby!
I've never heard applause like that before.
They even clapped extra for me.
That little angel is the best thing that could ever happen to us.
- Ivan? - Shh. Sleeping.
Why does the rabbit drive a fire truck?
Sleeping.
- Why does the seal worry so much? - Go back to bed, Ruby.
- Ever seen a lion? I have... - Is this kid for real?
- Know any jokes? - I...
I do.
How do you know an elephant has been in the refrigerator?
Footprints in the butter!
Isn't that funny?
I'm hungry. I love carrots.
What's your favorite food?
Tell her. It might shut her up.
Yogurt raisins.
All right. I'm gonna let go.
Whoa.
We gotta look our best today. Just like old times.
Who's next? What would you like?
Here to see Baby Ruby?
- There you are, young lady. - New star.
- Nice to see you. Thank you. - Enjoy the show.
Perfect! Enjoy the show.
She's a flash in the pan.
Babies don't stay babies forever.
Your appeal is timeless.
It's not the baby's job to save the troop.
It's the job of a silverback.
It's my job.
I don't think she got the memo.
Hi, baby.
You're doing so well in the show. Everybody's coming to see you.
Hey, Stella. Isn't it amazing how big the crowds are?
Dad.
Dad!
Yeah?
Stella's doing something funny with her foot again.
Mack!
What is it?
It is a bit swollen.
Is it tender?
All right, lift.
Let's take a look here.
Well... Something's not right.
It's okay, Stella. It's okay, girl.
Well,
I don't see anything, but...
she could have something lodged in there or could be an infection.
And she does seem to be hurting.
Make sure there's aspirin in her food tonight.
The vet will be here first thing in the morning.
You hang tough, sister. We need you.
She'll be all right. She's a strong old girl, okay?
Okay, Stella, let's rest now.
All right! Come on!
Come on!
You're doing so great in the show, Ruby.
Thanks, Aunt Stella. I'm sorry about your foot.
It's just tired of carrying me around all these years.
Now, would you like to hear another story?
- Yes, please. - Okay.
Hey, why'd you do that?
This is a good one from when I was a baby in the wild.
One day...
I was out looking for water...
when I slipped and fell into a hole
and got stuck in some very deep mud.
- Just then, a little girl... - Like Julia!
Just like Julia... heard my cries.
She told her whole village,
and together they all came and freed me.
Wow!
Humans did that?
I don't believe it.
Not all humans are bad.
They can surprise you.
Are all animals free in the wild?
Yes.
Well... will we ever be free?
There are places, not very far from here.
Safe places.
With trees, and grass, and lakes.
Where animals can roam free.
- The wild. - Like the wild.
Where humans make amends.
Now, let's try to get some sleep.
Okay.
- Good night. - Good night.
Good night, Ivan.
Wh...
Good night.
- Ivan! Showtime. - Ivan. Showtime.
Hey, Mack.
I'm not sure Stella should go on.
Really?
She's not putting any weight on it.
That's not good. All right, let's let her rest.
I'll call the vet again after the show.
Ruby.
Attagirl.
You're gonna be flying solo today.
You can do it. Right, sweetheart?
She'll be fine.
I'm not sure this is a good idea, Aunt Stella.
And now, ladies and gentlemen...
the tiny tyke you've all been waiting for.
I can't do it without you. I'm scared.
Ivan, she's gonna miss her cue.
What?
Ruby!
- I-I won't know what to do. - I'll be watching.
Listen, kid. You gotta go out there.
I-I can't do it.
Hey, they're here to see you. You can't let everyone down.
But I'm scared.
Ruby!
Listen to me. They're gonna love you.
Really? Are you sure?
Sure, I'm sure. You don't even have to do anything.
Just stand out there and be you.
Shall we try it again? Ladies and gentlemen, Ruby!
Come on.
You can do it.
Peekaboo.
Aw!
Look at you.
Hello.
Come on out and say hello to everyone.
All these lovely boys and girls have come to say hello to you.
Yes, they have. Hello there.
Hello, little lady.
Ruby!
Well, she did it.
She did.
Hey, Ruby. You can't sleep?
I'm hungry.
Well...
how about I...
I'll draw you a carrot.
To tide you over until you get a real one.
You know how to draw?
Yeah. But don't tell anybody.
- Why? - Because I'm a silverback.
So?
So just don't say anything, because... Well, then everybody will want one.
Then what am I gonna do? Then I got no time to be ferocious.
Wow!
That's a great carrot.
It'll just be our secret, okay?
Okay. I love secrets.
- Promise? - I promise.
- Aunt Stella! - No, no, no, no!
Shh, shh, shh, shh. D-Don't wake her.
- Do you wanna hear a story? - Yes, please.
Like one of Stella's stories, from when you were little.
Well...
I don't remember things from when I was little, I...
Yeah.
He's the total opposite of an elephant. He can't remember a thing.
- You wanna hear about my life? - Yes.
Okay.
Well, I was living a pretty good life
until I was abandoned in the streets by a mean human being.
Then I fell off a bridge into a river and almost drowned.
That's it. End of story. Now go to sleep.
Okay. That's... Thanks. That's not a bedtime story.
Guess not. It's got a happy ending though.
I ended up here with you, my best buddy ole pal.
Okay, Ruby, I think I might have a story for ya.
- Really? - Yeah.
Okay. All right.
Um...
So, once there was a little baby gorilla named...
Ivan!
Yeah. Okay. Ivan.
- There you go. - And little Ivan, he wore diapers.
And he drank from a bottle.
We're rolling.
And he had two nice human friends that adopted him.
Come here.
They spent every waking minute together.
What're you lookin' at? Your papa?
He lived in a nice house.
And he slept in human beds.
And he was loved.
And he was so lucky 'cause he got to go to restaurants, and baseball games,
and movie theaters, and playgrounds.
- Higher! - Playgrounds were his favorite.
People stared, but he never even noticed.
Felt like the whole world was his playground.
Ready? Smile.
- Back before Mack thought of the show... - Perfect.
It was just a young gorilla in a photo booth.
But still, people came from far and wide to see the young gorilla.
- And who's next? - It was a nice life.
But the little gorilla did what gorillas do.
- He made mess. A lot of messes. - What have you done? My gosh.
Hey. He found the cake, honey.
I can see that.
He turned the world into his playground.
Oh, oh, oh, oh!
No.
Little Ivan had a lot of freedom, and he enjoyed it.
Sometimes his human friends would get very upset.
And the little gorilla didn't know why.
Helen?
One of 'em got so upset, she left.
And she never came back.
- And then one day, he came here. - Go ahead.
He had a new home built just for him.
And he's been here ever since.
Good night, Ruby.
Ivan?
I need you to promise me something.
Anything.
I need you to take care of Ruby.
I can't be here for her.
I want her to have a life different from mine.
I want her to be free.
In a safe place. Not...
Not here.
Not a cage.
Promise me.
I promise, Stella.
On my word as a silverback, I promise.
Thank you, Ivan.
Goodbye.
Come on. Get it together.
You're on your own now, Ruby.
So,
we gotta work on your act?
We'll start tomorrow.
Good night, girl.
How is she? How's-How's Ruby?
Better now.
I told her not to worry 'cause you were gonna save her.
What? What are you talking about?
You promised Stella you were gonna get Ruby outta here.
Are you outta your mind?
So she could be free. Have a great life. Remember?
Anyway, that cheered her up. She fell right to sleep.
Shouldn't have even made that promise.
How am I supposed to get her outta here? And where would we go?
And what about Mack? Yeah, he's taken care of me my whole life.
You'll figure it out.
You're the one and only Ivan. Remember?
Nah.
Say it.
Go on. Say it.
I'm the one and only Ivan.
And don't you ever forget it.
Scoot over.
She's up there.
Can you see her smiling?
It's 'cause she knows you're gonna figure this out.
Come on. Quit it, will ya?
It's disgusting.
Ivan. You're gonna wanna see this.
What is it?
- Come on! - Okay.
You're gonna need to learn a few tricks, Ruby. Just like Stella.
It'll be fun.
No, come on back. Right here.
There we go. Nice, big, even circle.
All right?
Yes. There you go. Nicely done.
Good, good, good, good. There you go.
Keep going. Attagirl. You can do it.
There you go. Okay, come on. You can get this. Trunk up.
Come on, you gotta do this on your own, Ruby. Trunk up.
Here we go. No, no, no. Here, trunk up.
And keep it up. Come on, Ruby, it's not that hard.
Let's do this again like you did this morning. Lift.
Lift. No, right here. Lift.
Lift. That's it! We're finally making progress. Okay, right leg. Lift.
Up. You're gonna have to learn to balance on this. Here we go. Lift. Come on.
That's it. No, no, no, no, no, no. That one stays up.
Left. No, no, no. Where're you going?
Where're you going? Ruby.
Come on. Here we go. Right here. Let's try again.
Lift. Lift.
Lift! That's it.
Dad, she looks tired.
Yeah, well, hey. We're all tired, right?
I mean, am I the only one who understands that we got to make a living here?
Okay, let's go. Other foot. Here we go. Lift. Lift, lift.
Hey, Mack? Hey, let's call it a day. I'll take Ruby back.
- You can take a break. - No.
We're finally making progress here. No, I am not giving up now.
And we are not canceling any more shows either.
No, Ruby. Ruby, no, no, no, come on.
Don't sit. No, no, no.
- Okay. Put our things away. - Come on. Come on.
No. Come here. We got to get up.
Come on. Let's go. Ruby. Come on. Up.
Let's get up. Come on. You gotta get up.
Come on. No, come on. You gotta get up. You gotta learn this.
- Mack. - Ruby. No, come on. We can do this.
Come on. Get up.
What?
Wow.
Holy moly.
Wow. Look at all those drawings.
I always kinda figured you were an artist.
I think we're all a little artsy.
Sometimes I arrange my popcorn on the floor in cute little patterns.
Hey! Why'd you do that?
Yeow!
So gentle.
Shh!
Can you tell what this is?
A Cheeto?
No.
A wig? Mack's wig?
Mack's w... What?
A mountain range?
It's a key.
I need to get Julia to give me the key.
If I had that, I could free Ruby from her cage.
Cool!
- And then what? - I don't know. We'd go.
- Go where? - We'd just go.
Where you gonna go?
The forest.
You know, the forest. On the other side of the highway.
- The forest. - Yeah.
- Perfect. - That's all we need.
- Yeah! - Trees, grass.
Right. We're wild animals. That's where we belong.
That's right.
Ivan?
Hey. Ruby.
Sorry, did we wake you up?
Do you wanna hear a story?
Aw. Yes, please.
Okay.
So, once there was a...
a baby elephant.
Who was smart and brave.
But she lived in a small domain.
And she needed to live in the wild, where she could be free.
Does the baby elephant get to be free?
Yes, because she had a friend.
A friend who made a promise.
Hi, Henrietta.
Hi, Frankie.
Hi, Ivan.
Whoa.
Did you draw all these?
Ivan, these are amazing.
That looks like a...
- Hey, you. - Hey, Mack.
- New drawings? - Yeah.
- May I? - Sure.
- Did you draw these? - No.
Ivan drew 'em.
Did he?
You know, actually, these aren't too bad.
How about that?
A gorilla who draws.
Gorilla that can draw.
A gorilla who draws!
Ha!
- Now that's somethin'! Boy! - Dad.
Dad, I told you Ivan can draw. Look.
The press is gonna eat this up!
A gorilla who can actually draw? Now, that's like... Mwah!
- Aw. - That's a game changer!
Game changer.
"Ivan the Artistic Ape"?
The owner of the animal show here at the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade
earlier this week gave some crayons to the show's silverback gorilla.
People have been coming from far and wide to see the result.
Is that you, Ivan?
Wha...
Hey, Ivan. Take a look at this.
Crowd's even bigger than the old days.
That is you!
Twice as many as yesterday.
Ivan. Ivan!
Can you hear that crowd?
We're a hit!
We can keep this show going forever!
Ha-ha! You're a headliner again.
All right, come on, let's do this.
No forehead?
All right, we can do it later. Because right now, it's showtime.
Ha-ha.
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for!
Our final act.
The Artistic Ape from Exit Eight.
The one and only Ivan!
What will he draw today?
Your silence is appreciated, because here is the magic!
Any moment...
the magic will be here.
My. Let's try again, shall we?
Ladies and gentlemen, the magic is here!
In the gift shop!
One of Ivan's original paintings can be yours.
Each one signed with his trademark thumbprint.
What the heck was that?
A baby elephant isn't gonna turn things around for us.
This is our chance. You are our chance!
So, come on! Start the...
What the heck? No.
- Castello! - Yeah?
Get over here!
Come here.
What's that?
If I ever see that dog again,
I'm never gonna see you again, because you will be fired!
You understand?
Copy that, Mack. No idea how he got past me. I'm sorry, boss.
Just... get him outta here.
It's too bad you can't have it all.
You can have your freedom, but you gotta live by your wits with no security.
Or you can have security,
but you're stuck in a cage all day, doing tricks for humans.
It's a tough call.
Bob, I have a plan.
You just... You just called me Bob.
Yeah. Kinda fits ya.
- You think? "Bob"? - Yeah.
Bob. Bob-o. Bobby-dog.
- Hey, Bab-ay. Bobby, Bobby. - Hey! Focus.
For this plan to work, I'm gonna need your help.
The things I do...
- Nice. - Let's go!
- Ivan, what's happening? - I'm gettin' you outta here.
- Really? - Yeah.
- Neat. Where are you taking me? - To live in the wild.
What about the others?
Okay, guys, stick together.
Here we go!
Snickers! Snickers! This is it! The moment of truth!
We're all taking off. Come with us.
- What? And go where? - The wild.
The what? But I wouldn't last two minutes in the wild.
- Why? - Well...
there are no blow-dryers.
Okay.
Locked.
Definitely locked.
Thelma? Are you okay?
It's all under control.
Hey, guys.
- What're you doing? - The doors are locked.
Of course the doors are locked!
I thought you were 400 pounds of pure power.
Right.
Now that's what I call an exit.
Wow. It's so big out here.
Follow me, fellas. I know this lot like the back of my paw.
Guys, this is really chafing my belly.
Come on, Frankie. You hear that alarm? The po-po will be here any minute.
Let me at 'em. I'll blast 'em back with my hose.
That rabbit's crazier than I thought.
- Hello? - Hey, Mack. It's me.
So, I'm locked inside Ivan's cage.
Wait, what?
It's okay. I'm absolutely fine, 'cause Ivan's not here.
- What? - In fact, none of the animals are here.
Okay. All we have to do is make it across, and we're finally free.
Well, I'll just cross the road then.
Why would you cross the road, Henrietta?
To get to the other side.
She said it!
Boy.
- That's a good one! - Classic.
- Are we done? - Yeah. I'm done.
Okay. Let's go!
Here we go! Whoo!
Whoo!
My truck is stuck.
- Ivan. - Wha...
M-My truck is stuck.
Ivan...
- Murphy! Get out! - Reverse!
- What? - My truck is stuck!
- Ivan! - Hop out of the truck!
Ivan. I... My truck.
I'm sorry, Murphy. I know you loved that thing.
- Murphy, baby, you okay? - I almost died.
You just made it by a hair.
I saw my whole life flash before my eyes.
And?
I think I could do better.
- Come on, let's go. - Home free.
Look at me. Out in nature.
Just trees and grass and...
empty soda cans.
What?
No, no, no, no.
Hey, Mack!
Unbelievable.
Come on. Come on.
You feel that? The wind on our faces.
Real dirt beneath our feet...
This is nice.
- Is this it? The wild? - Yeah!
You did it, Ivan. You saved us.
Hey, Frankie, do you miss your ball?
Not at all. I've wasted so much of my life with that stupid ball.
You wasted your life? I played baseball. And I'm a chicken.
I gotta level with you, Henrietta.
It could have been a lot worse for you.
Look at me! I'm hopping! On my own feet!
Whee!
We're free! This is our new home.
We can go where we want, do what we wa...
Wha...
What happens now, Ivan?
What?
Guys, go! Everybody hide. Everybody!
I wanna stay with you, Ivan.
I knew this was too good to be true.
Whoa, whoa. Ivan, it's me! It's me.
It's only me.
What're you doin' out here, kid?
Look. Ivan, you can't be out here. It's...
All right, all right. All right.
It's all under control.
Come on, kid.
We gotta get you back. All of you.
You're not safe out here.
Ruby is at risk.
Is that what you want?
We're in this together, Ivan.
We're family.
Come on. Let's go home.
- Hey, Mack. - Hey.
- Are you okay? - I'm fine.
Hey, thanks for coming in early.
Yeah, of course.
- Where's Castello? - Gone. I fired him.
Listen...
no one can know about tonight.
I mean, if the city ever finds out,
they would shut us down in a heartbeat.
No worries. Understood.
All right.
Hey, it's okay. Go ahead.
- Good job getting them all back. - Thanks, George.
Ivan?
Will you tell me about a real forest?
Ruby, listen to me.
I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise.
But what is the wild like, Ivan? Will you tell me?
You know I can't remember that kind of stuff.
- But I've never even seen it. - Ruby, I told you I can't remember.
I don't... I can't remember the wild.
Stella used to say...
"There's a difference between 'can't remember' and 'won't remember.'"
Please?
Okay, I'll tell...
I'll try to remember. I'll try.
I remember my... my parents.
They called me... they called me Mud.
- "Mud"? - Yeah.
It's better than Bob.
'Cause I was always wandering away from the troop in search of it.
I would use mud to draw on anything I could find.
I would get lost in a world of my own.
While other gorillas were learning to swing from vines and gather fruit,
I was always down on the ground,
in the mud... drawing.
I could draw all day.
My father thought that was a little strange,
so he tried to teach me how to be strong and fearsome.
This did not come naturally to me.
I was a work in progress.
But my dad still loved me.
The only thing I loved as much as drawing was playing with my sister, Tag.
My parents called her Tag.
That was the game she loved to play.
She was good at tag.
She'd always win.
Tag sounds like fun.
Where's your sister now?
I don't think you want to know all this, Ruby.
Yes, I do.
Well...
it's a little foggy, but, um...
One day, I was drawing in the mud.
My dad watching over me.
All of a sudden, it became very quiet.
We heard strange noises.
That's when they came.
My dad threw me on his back, and we ran.
Faster than he'd ever run before.
My father and I, we got separated from the others.
He did everything he could to protect me.
He placed me out of harm's reach, high up in a tree.
And then...
I never saw anyone in my troop again.
Julia gave me this.
I named it "Not-Tag" because it'll never be Tag.
I used to think, i-if I'd learned how to fight like my father...
and I hadn't always been drawing in the mud...
I coulda...
Humans are the worst.
Cockroaches have bigger hearts.
"Not all humans are bad."
Remember what Stella said, "Humans can surprise you."
I bet your father loved you for who you are, Ivan.
I bet he loved your drawings, like I do.
Thanks for the story, Ivan. Good night.
Good night, Ruby.
Good night, Bob.
Now they're all calling me Bob.
Hey, it was fun while it lasted.
And look, you got a new truck.
Yeah, but who drives a yellow fire truck?
Sorry I left you, ball. Don't be mad at me.
Here we go.
Take your time. Take your time.
All four. That's it.
Beautiful.
That's my girl.
Let's just go for a little stroll? Here we go, sweetheart.
Hey, Ivan.
These are for you.
They were a present from my aunt, but I'm kinda too old for finger paints.
All you gotta do is put your finger in...
Well, you'll figure it out.
I heard about last night.
You don't wanna be here anymore, do you?
I wish I could help you, Ivan.
Just like I wish I could help my mom.
Why are things stuck in cages?
Why do people have to be sick?
That's why I like drawing.
I can draw things the way I want it to be, and it's almost like...
if I draw it well enough, it'll come true.
This is my mom.
This isn't what she looks like right now.
One day she'll look like this again.
You're a real artist, Ivan.
I know you understand.
Ivan, what are you doing?
Can't talk. Can't talk. Too much to do.
- Where is Ivan? - He's up there.
Today is gonna be a good one, Snickers.
Well, hello there. Just in time. Standing room, right over here.
- That must be him. Mack? - Yes?
Hi.
- Candace Taylor, WNMZ. - Hello.
I would love to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind.
Is it about our Picasso Primate, no doubt?
Can you confirm reports there was an escape here the other night?
An escape?
We have people claiming they saw animals on the highway.
- My. - A gorilla.
Well, that would be quite a sight to see a gorilla on the highway, wouldn't it?
No, I can assure you that all the animals are right here, safe and sound.
And actually, we're about to start another fabulous show right now.
So, listen, why don't you stick around? And feel free to film our show.
Ta-ta.
Always use both hands with the light, okay?
- And remember to wait for me... - I've got this.
I've watched the show more than anyone.
George, George.
Listen, there is a reporter out there,
and she's asking a lot of questions about the animals escaping.
- If she finds out, I'm done. - I understand. You got it, Mack.
Hey, Jules, thanks a lot for helping us out with the show. Good luck!
Break a leg, Mack.
Frankie the seal!
Let's play catch, Frankie.
Up!
Is Ivan okay? It's almost time for him to go on.
I'll go check.
Frankie, what do you say...
Shouldn't you be warming up?
Ladies and gentlemen, Ruby!
And up you go, girl!
And now...
the moment you've all been waiting for.
The Primate Picasso himself!
The one and only Ivan!
Well, he's quite the artist, isn't he, folks?
Yes. Yes!
Excuse me.
- Dad, do you see it? - Yeah.
His painting's amazing. And he did it with your finger paints?
No, not that.
It's how he wants things to be.
Ivan wants to be in the wild.
- What? - Ivan doesn't wanna be here anymore.
I know it. We have to do something.
Julia, even if that's true, I don't know what we can do about that, sweetheart.
I know.
She can help him.
Julia, this is my job. Okay?
- We can't just... - Dad, please!
Ivan needs to be free.
Don't you always say we should try to do the right thing?
Who's next? What would you like?
There you are. What would you like? One and two...
Go.
Excuse me. Hi. I'm Julia.
Hi, Julia.
What can I do for you?
Ivan, what's that noise?
Free Ivan! Ruby! Free Ivan! Ruby! Free Ivan!
What's happening?
Free Ivan! Ruby!
As you can see, I'm now standing in front of the Big Top Mall.
Remember Ivan? The gorilla that likes to draw?
Well, his painting is clearly a sign he wants to be free.
Free Ivan! Ruby! Free Ivan! Ruby! Free Ivan! Ruby!
You did it, buddy.
Ivan, why are they yelling our names?
Are they mad at us?
No, Ruby. They're not mad at us.
They wanna help us.
They want us to be free.
Remember, Stella knew there was something better out there for us.
She couldn't get there herself,
but she wanted to make sure that you would.
I don't wanna go anywhere without you.
Well, you know, change is scary for all of us.
Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith, Ruby.
Trust that kindness will always be there when you need it.
"Not all humans are bad.
They can surprise you."
Remember?
I remember.
Mind your backs!
All right.
So long, Frankie. Let me see that gorgeous smile.
Keep in touch.
Ain't nobody loves you better.
- Do you think there'll be other elephants? - Yeah. I'm sure there will be.
Will they like me?
Yeah, of course they'll like you. You bet.
You can tell 'em the refrigerator joke. They'll love that.
Footprints in the butter!
Exactly. Works every time.
I'll tell them about you, Ivan.
And Bob and Julia
and Henrietta and Murphy
and Frankie and Thelma...
and Stella.
Yeah.
You be sure to tell 'em about Stella.
I will.
Hey, Ruby.
I'm Dr. Maya.
Now, you come with me.
There you go.
Goodbye, Ivan.
Goodbye, Ruby.
It's gonna be just you and me now, Snickers.
Hey, pal.
Don't get too comfortable.
I guess all good things come to an end.
Yeah.
How am I gonna fall asleep without that warm tummy of yours?
You can sneak in there, with me.
Humans are dumb, but they ain't that dumb.
You'll be all right. You're a wild beast, remember?
Well, technically, I'm a domesticated species.
But I'll figure something out. I always do.
Here.
What's this for?
That's to help you sleep.
Aw.
Thanks.
Well, I'd better get outta here before they cart me off to the pound.
You're the one and only Ivan, pal.
Remember that.
Yeah.
And you're the one and only...
Bob.
Everyone needs a name.
I guess mine's Bob.
No, no, no. Don't worry, dog.
You're okay.
We had some laughs, kid?
Remember that?
The day I brought you home.
Best times of my life.
Well...
good luck, kid.
I'm gonna miss you, Ivan.
Go on, Ivan.
It's time.
Go on.
Ivan!
You're okay. This isn't your home.
This is.
She's here, Stella.
She's free.
Nice digs you got here.
Bob?
Hi, pal! Long time no see.
How'd you get in here?
Are you kidding? I can sneak in anywhere.
Ivan!
Here she is.
Ivan!
- Julia? - Yeah.
Turns out her mom likes having me around. Who could blame her?
So, I live with them as, well, as kind of a favor, you know?
Just to keep everyone happy.
- Really? - Ivan.
We've missed you. You look great!
Dad, doesn't he look so happy?
He sure does.
Uncle Mack, he looks great, doesn't he?
He really does.
See?
You drew it so well, you made it come true.
I'm so proud of you.
Never forget, pal,
you're the one and only Ivan.
That's me. Mighty silverback.