AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR is an adventure movie for families. While growing up in the Amazon Rainforest, Autumn befriends an orphaned black jaguar. After her mother dies tragically, she and her bereaved dad move to New York City. Eight years later, Autumn discovers her jaguar and the entire Amazon Rainforest are in danger due to deforestation and animal trafficking. Autumn runs away to the Amazon to help. However, her quirky, anxiety-ridden science teacher insists on tagging along.

AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR is a cute movie about a girl and a lovable jaguar. The movie is full of stunning scenery. However, it pushes a chronic fear of environmental doom. The story would be stronger without all the preachy dialogue. Also, the title character is sorry at the end for her behavior, but she’s rebellious, rude, disrespectful, and disobedient. That said, the negative content in AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR is mitigated by an appreciation for God’s Creation. The movie also extols kindness, friendship, love, family, and bravery. The movie has plenty of peril, though, plus four light obscenities and one light profanity.

(Pa, RoRo, PCPC, EE, BB, C, L, V, A, DD, MM):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Mixed pagan worldview with strong Romantic, politically correct elements that highlight impending climate doom, but mitigated by appreciation for God’s Creation where movie also promotes kindness, compassion, friendship, love, family, and bravery, plus a wooden Cross has been placed at a mother’s grave;

Foul Language:

Four light “h” obscenities and one OMG profanity;

Violence:

Continuous peril throughout, main characters are chased and shot at by poachers in a few scenes, and girls and a jaguar are kidnapped under the threat of death;

Sex:

No sex;

Nudity:

No nudity;

Alcohol Use:

A character chugs a few glasses of champagne on a plane;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

No tobacco use or illicit drugs, but an adult teacher habitually pops “herbal” supplements in pill form whenever she’s anxious, so it’s weird drug use; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

Greed and poaching, but rebuked, plus villains kidnap people and an animal and the young title character, though sorry at the end, is rebellious, rude, disrespectful, and disobedient.

AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR is an action adventure movie for families about a girl named Autumn who befriends an adorable black jaguar while growing up in the Amazon Rainforest. After her mother dies tragically, she and her bereaved dad go to live in New York City. Eight years later, however, she discovers her jaguar and the entire Amazon Rainforest are in danger due to deforestation and animal trafficking. Autumn runs away to the Amazon to help, but her quirky, anxiety-ridden science teacher insists on tagging along.

AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR is emotional and sweet, but it is a bit heavy on politically correct climate crisis ideology. There is plenty of peril and some violence, along with a few light profanities. Caution is recommended for children.

After moving to New York, Autumn has dreams of her childhood in the Amazon Rainforest, where she befriended a black jaguar whom she named Hope. Hope’s mother was killed by a poacher. Autumn took the adorable cub into her care.

However, when Autumn’s mother is killed by poachers, Autumn’s father, Saul, decided the rainforest has become too dangerous and moves the two to New York City. Autumn is a rebellious 14-year-old climate activist who hates science class. She’s once again expelled from school, this time because she called the ASPCA when the science class requires the dissection of frogs.

Her father, at his wits end, plans to send Autumn to stay with her grandmother. Meanwhile, Autumn finds letters addressed to her father from an old native friend in the Amazon named Ore. In the letters, Ore pleads for help because of the increasing dangers of deforestation and animal trafficking. He informs Saul there’s only one remaining black jaguar in the region.

Instead of going to her grandmother’s house, Autumn sets out for the Amazon to save the last jaguar, who she believes is her long-lost cuddly friend Hope. Autumn convinces her grandma to help deceive her dad on her whereabouts. Things seem to go as planned until Autumn realizes her dreaded science teacher, Anja, has followed her onto the airplane in order to bring her back home. Anja is an anxiety-riddled agoraphobic whose only friend is a handicapped hedgehog. When Autumn refuses to return home, a comedic adventure ensues as Anja follows her unruly student into the rainforest.

Autumn is reunited with her childhood community of native tribal friends. Ore insists that Autumn return home immediately. However, when Autumn finds the last jaguar, her beloved Hope, she fights to stay and save her no matter what it costs.

AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR is a tender story about a girl’s love for a jaguar, with plenty of jeopardy and peril. The jaguar is absolutely lovable. The movie is also full of stunning, picturesque scenery that’s home to many wondrous landscapes and creatures. It would be impossible for any well-intentioned person to not want to protect all of it from greedy corporations and poachers. There are some wonderful messages about protecting beautiful creatures and environments, along with the importance of caring, cooperation and good communication to fight destructive greed. Another powerful message given is the importance of possessing the courage to do the right thing and fighting for our ideals. The movie also extols kindness, compassion and friendship.

Still, the movie has some issues. The main character, though sorry at the end, is rebellious, rude, disrespectful, and disobedient. There are little to no consequences for her actions. AUTUMN AND THE BLACK JAGUAR also has four light obscenities and one light profanity. What’s more, the movie pedals environmentalist fearmongering among children. The narrative is a bit heavy on pushing a chronic, politically correct fear of environmental doom. The main character tells her teacher, “People need to know what’s going on here, and they will know because you are teaching their children.”

Perhaps it’s better to leave adult problems to the adults. A high percentage of young children, teenagers and young adults are experiencing eco-anxiety these days. This can cause depression, guilt, anger, grief, trouble concentrating, and panic attacks. Teaching children how to safely care for the environment, as well educating them about the many improvements the modern world, including capitalism, has made to protect the environment, seems like a better way to encourage positivity, growth and good mental health. A great website for helping families become proper stewards of God’s Creation is Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation at https://cornwallalliance.org/.

Basil Joseph in a still from ‘Pravinkoodu Shappu’

One well-crafted sequence can sometimes make a film worthwhile, even when the film in its totality hits a notch below where it could have. These sequences tell us of the possibilities that a filmmaker holds, and serve as a showreel of someone whose work is worth looking forward to. Such sequences are galore in debutant Sreeraj Sreenivasan’s Pravinkoodu Shappu, partly thanks to cinematographer Shyju Khalid, who has shot some of the major Malayalam films of the past decade.

To list out a few, there is a school bus chase sequence that sends chills down your spine due to its clever staging; there are thoughtfully lit night scenes inside a toddy shop, and one by a pond where a murder is taking place under the dim, reddish tail lamps of a vehicle; or like that of a masked man attacking a house at night, seen from the point of view of the woman facing it; or even the opening sequence which juxtaposes a classic nostalgic song with a shocking visual.

However, the deftness in the handling of these scenes is not visible uniformly in the film, which brings together the potent mix of an investigative thriller and a black comedy. At the core of it is a typical Agatha Christie-esque situation, with a death at a particular location and a handful of suspects. But instead of elite mansions or luxury trains, here the location happens to be a toddy shop, frequented by the regulars from the village, with quite a few among them having a shady record in the past. When the toddy shop owner is found dead, fingers point to all of them.

Police officer Santosh (Basil Joseph) derives much pride from solving crimes using intelligence than violence. It is Santosh who brings the humour in this film, and with his easy shifts from goofiness to sharpness, Basil’s performance is one of the elements that hold the film together. The past lives of the dead man and the suspects unravel as the investigation progresses. But, some of the characterisation and situations are intentionally sketchy, probably to retain the mystery till the end.

A certain ingenuity marks the way the murder is executed, you do feel mildly satisfied with the roundabout manner of arriving at that point. It just does its job, without knocking you off your seats, which the truly exceptional ones achieve. With a lot of back and forth shifts in the non-linear narrative, the editing is on point for most parts, but some scenes feel too long-winded and even superfluous, considering the information we already know. At the same time, there are instances of insufficient or unconvincing information too, as regards the motive.

Despite its intriguing setting and liberal doses of black humour, Pravinkoodu Shappu ends up underutilising its potential.

Pravinkoodu Shappu is currently running in theatres

With its intricate, carved-wood paneling and diamond-shaped glass panes, location scout Lori Balton thought the smoking room of the historic Andrew McNally House was just glorious.

The distinctive look of the Altadena mansion, built in 1887 for the co-founder of maps and atlas firm Rand McNally Publishing, made it a favorite for filming. The Queen Anne-style home appeared in the HBO series “Entourage,” among other productions.

But the McNally House, along with other notable filming locations around Southern California, was destroyed in the recent fires.

“There was so much texture,” said Balton, who is based in Venice. “You did not feel like you were in L.A. Such a great location to have. It just breaks my heart.”

As the region grapples with the sheer number of homes and buildings destroyed, livelihoods disrupted and lives lost, its signature industry will face yet another setback in the loss of go-to filming spots, particularly in the Altadena area and Pacific Palisades.

The destruction adds to the list of hardships Hollywood faces, which now includes the loss of workers’ homes, from below-the-line crew members to actors and executives, and pauses in production that can strain personal finances.

“There is no question that the fires’ impact extends to the business of film production and the livelihoods it sustains,” nonprofit FilmLA spokesperson Philip Sokoloski wrote in an email. “We believe the immediate and long-term impacts to the local entertainment economy from the fires will prove significant, but these are also unknowable at this time.”

Over the years, Sherman Oaks-based location manager Ed Lippman had scouted many homes in the Palisades and Altadena areas for potential filming locations. As he watched the local news reports last week, he saw crews driving down Altadena’s E. Mendocino Street, where he had worked with many homeowners who allowed shoots on their property.

“I wasn’t even thinking about film or location sets at that point,” Lippman said. “I was thinking about the people, the magnitude of people I had personal interactions with … suddenly, their houses were gone. It was kind of overwhelming.”

Location scouts, managers and set decorators are now putting together a database with addresses and photos of homes in the fire zones that they’ve scouted over the years to help homeowners who need documentation for insurance claims. If a house was ever used in a film or TV production, or even was just scouted, someone could still have photos that may help with those claims, Balton said.

Balton has already added 50 homes to the list from her own records.

“The film industry supports them any and every way we can,” she said. “We can’t film on location without their homes and their communities.”

Palisade fire: memorable film landmarks gone

With its coastal views and sprawling mansions, Pacific Palisades has been a frequent spot for filming.

“You could get a lot of really nice, East Coast looks,” Lippman said. “You could shoot L.A. for other parts of the country, easily.”

The Palisades fire has now burned more than 23,000 acres and numerous homes, structures and landmarks.

One of those destroyed was Will Rogers State Historic Park, which was made up of a ranch house, barn and other buildings that once belonged to the vaudeville and film actor. The property was the filming location for “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” where it doubled as San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. It was also featured in the 1981 movie “Cutter’s Way” starring Jeff Bridges, 1999’s “The Story of Us” with Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer and Lindsay Lohan’s debut feature film, “The Parent Trap,” from 1998.

About two miles away, Palisades Charter High School suffered heavy damage from the fire, though it was not lost in the blaze. School officials have said about 40% of the campus was burned, and the school is now looking for temporary facilities to resume classes.

The high school has been featured in productions including the Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis remake of “Freaky Friday,” 2001’s “Crazy/Beautiful” with Kirsten Dunst and the Anne Hathaway-led crime drama “Havoc” from 2005. The school’s volleyball courts and track also briefly appeared in 1976’s horror film “Carrie.”

The historic Topanga Ranch Motel, which was built in 1929 and designed in a distinctive bungalow style, was also destroyed. The location was a popular spot for film and TV shots.

Eaton fire: homes with character up in flames

Long favored by location scouts and managers for its film-friendly community and the distinctive looks of its older homes, Altadena has doubled as East Coast locales, international destinations and even places closer to home.

The Eaton fire has burned more than 14,000 acres and numerous structures in both Altadena and Pasadena, including entire neighborhoods.

“Each house had been there so long that it had its own personality,” Balton said. “We look for locations that are really adding another character to a movie.”

She sighed.

“It’s gone, it’s all gone,” Balton said.

Zorthian Ranch, an artists colony in the foothills of Altadena, also burned. The sprawling ranch with its eclectic art pieces, wandering llamas and sculptures, was featured in a music video for Capital Cities’ “Safe and Sound,” as well as other film and TV productions.

About a mile away, Charles S. Farnsworth Park, too, was destroyed in the fire. Boasting an airy outdoor amphitheater surrounded by trees and a view of the L.A. skyline, the park was used to film Apple TV+’s series “Shrinking” starring Harrison Ford and Jason Segel, and the 2001 film “American Pie 2.”

“There are no words, really,” Balton said of the destruction. “Hope we go on. You can rebuild homes but boy, how long it takes to rebuild a community.”