Cut to the chase: Coming to theaters in tandem with supplementary media and content aimed at extending audience engagement, “The Last Whale Singer” is a delightful independent studio release, even if it takes considerable inspiration from a House of Mouse classic. It may not have the same charming animation style or an innovative script, but this coming-of-age story offers multiple platforms for families to explore marine conservation and unlock further at-home discussions about creatures, ocean life, and the natural world at large.
“The Last Whale Singer.” (Image courtesy Telescope Animation)
A Soulful Synopsis
Ever wish “The Lion King” were set deep in the ocean and focused on a family of whales instead of a pride of lions in the African savanna? “The Last Whale Singer” posits that exact scenario.
Vincent (Vincent Tong) is a curious adolescent humpback whale who lives in the ocean with his adoring parents. His father is a whale singer, responsible for maintaining the health and equilibrium of his ecosystem through his unique melodies. His tunes have the magical ability to heal the underwater landscape around him, bringing color and vitality back to dying reefs.
Before Vincent can learn the secrets of whale singing, his parents are killed saving their son from an oncoming ship. Set adrift with only his remora fish nanny named Walter (Bruce Dinsmore) by his side (quite obviously the Zazu character within the storyline), Vincent must embark on a grand adventure to uncover the power buried in his DNA.
Vincent has quite the battle ahead of him: a melting glacier unleashes its long-dormant captor, the Leviathan, an ancient squid-like giant who escapes into the ocean, terrorizes marine life, and threatens to cover everything in its inky venom. An unspoken product of climate change, the changing seascape transforms from vibrant to gritty as Vincent delves cautiously deeper into the task at hand.
In search of answers, Vincent explores parts of his underwater home he’s never seen before. In a trash-piled water dump, he meets Darya (Jenna Wheeler-Hughes), a feisty deaf orca whale who joins the mission. They encounter narwhals, jellyfish, walrus, dolphins, and a legendary white whale, until Vincent unlocks his destiny and takes his rightful place in the pecking order of the aquatic abyss.
“The Last Whale Singer.” (Image courtesy Telescope Animation)
Oh, I Just Can’t Wait to Be Sing(ing)
“The Last Whale Singer” draws on the basics of that 1994 Disney classic “The Lion King,” which was inspired by William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” and transforms the plight of the young humpback whale into a jumping-off point for families to tackle important issues affecting our natural world. While certainly far from a documentary, this film offers some insightful knowledge about sea creatures sprinkled throughout, like the symbiotic relationship between whales and remora fish. Or how Darya, who is deaf, relies on the vibrations in the water instead of echolocation.
The most disappointing aspect of the film is its unimpressive, undeniably flat computer-generated animation, which fails to give these creatures any sense of realism. They float through unagitated waters lacking depth or even spatial perception. Bubbles or ripples don’t move in the way they would in an underwater world.
The animals are cartoonish hyperboles of the real deals, orcas with big cheeks or smooth-bodied whales. They are, in most cases, providing viewers with the idea of the thing, not anatomically correct replicas. For small humans and fans of ocean dwellers, this likely won’t matter, and the nonstop adventure that Vincent and his friends endure offers enough variety, excitement, and plot-driven development to keep their interest.
“The Last Whale Singer.” (Image courtesy Telescope Animation)
Beware, Young Sea Urchins
Like Simba’s coming-of-age story, Vincent’s tale is one that reinforces positive themes like perseverance, courage, and teamwork. However, it also comes with its own set of difficult or potentially upsetting moments. Like most children of the 90s who were devastated by Mufasa’s traumatic demise in “The Lion King,” young viewers may find the death of Vincent’s parents a difficult scene. Like Simba, Vincent is the film’s protagonist, and the viewer is forced to sit in his grief as the story unfolds.
The final realization that those we lose live on in us is a heavy, heady discernment that will likely go over the heads of the film’s target demographic, though it is an admirable sentiment nonetheless.
The gigantic squid is a fearsome sight, and its release from its ice cage is an overwhelming sequence. It has extensive tentacles and poisonous ink, which severely injures anything that crosses its path. The Leviathan itself stalks and hunts Vincent, which may cultivate added fear or anxiety in particularly apprehensive viewers.
There are several other moments that may be tough for novice viewers – the graveyard and skulls and bones that the team discovers at the bottom of the ocean, a white whale father who mistakes Vincent for his long-lost son and falsely imprisons him behind large boulders – though these are generally counterbalanced by the positive messaging. Of the morals that this story imparts, none is as important as “carving your own path,” a realization that Vincent makes by film’s end. His song must be completely his own. Only he can lend his voice to make the changes he wants to see in the world, and this message will hopefully translate for future environmentalists.
- MPAA Rating: PG for some mild action/peril, rude humor, and thematic elements
- Recommended Age: 6+
- Where to Watch: In theaters as of June 5, 2026
- Runtime: 91 minutes
- Extras: As supplement activities after the film, download the online game to explore the underwater world as a humpback whale or extend the experience with the interactive storybook, a read-along experience designed for children ages 6 to 8.
More Parent Reviews and Family Movie Picks
Still deciding what to watch next? Check out more Seattle’s Child movie guides and parent reviews:
- Parent Review: “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” | Despite its colorful visuals and familiar characters, this sequel misses the mark with a chaotic pace and surprisingly thin story.
- Parent Review: “The Pout-Pout Fish” movie doesn’t match the book | See why this adaptation may disappoint families who loved the original story.
- Parent Review: “GOAT” movie age rating and parent guide | What families should know about themes, content, and age-appropriateness before watching.
