Panda Bear in Africa

Panda Bear in Africa (Dutch: Pandabeer in Afrika) is a 2024 animated adventure film directed by Richard Claus and Karsten Kiilerich with story by Claus, Kiierich and Rob Sprackling. The film is an international co-production between Denmark, Netherlands, France, Germany, and Estonia and it follows a panda cub who travels to Africa in order to rescue his dragon friend who has been kidnapped.^[3] The film was first released in Germany at the European Film Market during a screening at CinemaxX in Berlin on February 15, then on August 7 in France and October 16 in the Netherlands.^[4]

When the young and not so adventurous panda bear Pang discovers that his best friend Jielong the dragon is kidnapped, he follows her all the way from China to Africa. On this journey he finds a world completely unknown to him as he faces frightening kudus, dancing ostriches and the evil lion Malume. With newfound friends Jojo, an unreliable monkey, and Niala, a lonesome hyena, he needs to figure out how to defeat Malume, free Jielong and save Niala's family.

• Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing as Pang, a panda cub wearing a red cape
• Maurits Delchot as Jojo, a talapoin
• Thom Hoffman as Xing-Xing, a orangutan merchant that leads a boat that helped Pang go to Africa and Panda Grocekeeper
• Silas Lekgoathi as Malume, a villainous lion that rules Africa, Lekgoathi also voices Mr. Dung Beetle and Lmazi, Niala's father
• Namisa Mdalose as Ade, a Malume's adolescent nephew
• Candice Modiselle as Niala, a spotted hyena, Modiselle also voices Niala in her younger self, Mrs. Hippo, Mrs. Dung Beetle and Ade's mother
• Sthandile Nkosi as Kabora, a Gelada baboon who works for Malume and Imayi, Niala´'s mother and Vulture
• Thulani Nzonzo as Mpho, an overweight Nile crocodile who works for Malume
• James Weebo as Darius, a dancing ostrich who kidnaps both Pang and Jojo
• Georgina Verbaan as Jielong, a female dragon, Verbaan also voices Ade in his younger self and Biyu, Pang's mother
• Charles Ouda as Abu, an Greater kudu who works for Darius, Ouda also voices Mr. Python, an African rock python and Meerkat Chief and Jackal 3
• Lungile Lallie as Jackal 1
• Angel Orugbo as Camel, a nameless camel that works as a taxi and Jackal 2
• Adrian Pang as Kang, Pang's father
• Joyce W. Musoke as Mrs. Python, a female African rock python
• Thulani Nzono as Ade's father, Mr. Hippo and Male Lion
• Kok-Hwa-Lie as Panda Grocekeeper 2

A review in Le Figaro praised the joyful spirit of the film.^[5] Télérama found the production predictable.^[6] A mixed review in Le Monde noted that all characters were very talkative.^[7]

• Panda Bear in Africa at IMDb