Another April, another Disneynature release, and we’ve now seen enough of these films to pretty much know what to expect:

The cinematography will be gorgeous, featuring lots of breathtaking time-lapse footage of clouds rolling over the savannah or the tundra or wherever; over-adorable narration, in which an A-list actor bestows human names upon the wild-animal “characters” and waxes effusive over a mother’s love in the wild; and a sanitized, Disney-fied version of nature in which apex predators usually have their dinner just out of camera range.

“Born in China” doesn’t flip the script in any significant way, but while the storytelling here has significant weaknesses, it’s hard to stay mad at any movie that offers so many close-ups of an insanely adorable baby panda.

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The voice-over from John Krasinski tells us that that baby panda is Mei Mei, who spends the first year of her life being hovered over and obsessively tended to by Ya Ya, whom the script (by David Fowler, Brian Leith, Phil Chapman and director Chuan Lu) refers to as a “helicopter mom.” Mei Mei is a scene-stealer, so it’s always a little disappointing when the film cuts away to other creatures in other parts of the country.

We also meet golden snub-nosed monkey Tao Tao, whose lack of maternal focus has led him to run wild with his peers; snow leopard Dawa, feeding her young offspring and keeping them safe from predators and other leopards who would usurp their territory; and a group of female chiru (Tibetan antelopes) who leave the men behind every spring so they can give birth. (The G-rated “Born in China” is very matter-of-fact about showing baby chiru sliding right out of mommy; it’s a little more skittish about showing Dawa making a meal of a sheep.)

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While previous Disneynature titles (“Bears,” “African Cats,” “Monkey Kingdom,” “Chimpanzee”) have offered fairly contrived storylines, heavy on the anthropomorphism — they also told a full story (usually a year in the life) of the animals it featured. “Born in China” hops back and forth so much from species to species that it never quite hits its dramatic stride.

China offers a vast array of geographical terrain — and through sheer coincidence, it happens to have one of the world’s largest moviegoing audiences. But the fact that these very different animals all happen to live in the same country isn’t enough of a narrative thread to weave these disparate tales together.

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The closing credits show us the animals that didn’t end up getting star billing in the film (wolves and cranes among them). It also offers the sight of the long-suffering camera crews, mucking about in swamps or buried in snowdrifts just to get the perfect shot. Lu and his crew do certainly capture extraordinary footage, and the Disneynature movies make an effective gateway for young children to become interested both in documentaries (they can watch the more brutal stuff when they’re older) and the environment itself.

And in an era in which we have an administration seemingly unconcerned with the gutting of the planet and of the species that live upon it, it’s never too early to remind kids of the fragility and majesty of life on Earth’s every corner.

31 Scene-Stealing Animals in Movies and TV (Photos)

Even when the focus of a film or TV show is on its human stars, cameos and small parts by animals can quickly snatch attention away from the headlining actors. Click through to see our list of scene-stealing animals:
Various
Billy Crystal's character in the 1991 comedy "City Slickers" adopts a calf and names him Norman.
Columbia Pictures
Once Punxsutawney Phil poked his head above ground, all hell broke loose -- at least in one of the seemingly infinite amount of days Bill Murray endured in the 1993 comedy "Groundhog Day."
Columbia Pictures
The most tweets about the season finale of the HBO crime drama "The Night Of" were focused on the appearance of, yes, the cat.

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HBO
Digby, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in 2014's "The Interview" proved to be both precious and integral to the film's climactic end.
Sony
Yes, there's an actual goat in the college hazing drama "Goat." Without spoiling it, the animal is at the center of a tragic plot twist that happens toward the end of film.

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Paramount
Speaking of goats, there's an evil one featured in 2015 horror movie "The Witch."

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A24
The cat in "Inside Llewyn Davis" knew no bounds, escaping multiple times and heading off to faraway places.
CBS Films
Talking bulldog Mr. Beefy made "Little Nicky" with Adam Sandler a whole lot more fun.
New Line Cinema
A walrus stood out in another Adam Sandler movie, "50 First Dates," also starring Drew Barrymore.
Columbia Pictures
The snake in 2000's "Road Trip" got memorably mouthy.
DreamWorks Pictures
The tiger in the bathroom in 2009's "The Hangover" put a night of drunken debauchery among a group of guys over the top.
Warner Bros.
Comet the Golden Retriever in "Full House" was pretty handy sometimes.
ABC
The bear in "The Revenant" is easily among the most ferocious in cinema history.
20th Century Fox
Lucky the cat took some attention away from the famously smart-mouthed Alf in this 1990s sitcom.
NBC
Baxter! The pooch from "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" was quite the little survivor.
DreamWorks Pictures
Oscar bit Larry David so hard in an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" that he had to go to the doctor -- and have a very uncomfortable conversation about it.
HBO
Eddie, the Jack Russell on 1990's sitcom "Frasier" was so popular he made the cover of Entertainment Weekly.
NBC
If dogs could win Oscars, Uggie, who played the dog in "The Artist," would have easily earned the film its sixth Academy Award.
Warner Bros.
The kidnapped kitten that was named after a movie star stole some laughs from Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key in the comedy "Keanu."
Warner Bros.
Toto was Dorothy's prized pet in 1939's "The Wizard of Oz." But did you know his real name? It was Terry.
MGM
The Lone Ranger wouldn't be right without his trusty steed Silver.
ABC
Ferguson is Winston's scene-stealing cat on Fox's "New Girl," starring Zooey Deschanel.
Fox
We all know what happens to Marley the Lab at the end of 2008's "Marley & Me."
20th Century Fox
Marcel the monkey kept Ross company on "Friends."
NBC
Yes, Clint Eastwood acted opposite an orangutan called Clyde in the 1978 adventure comedy "Every Which Way But Loose."
Warner Bros.
Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser helped make collie mix Murray famous on "Mad About You."
NBC
When a guy gets severely downsized in the 1957 sci-fi film "The Incredible Shrinking Man," suddenly a house cat poses imminent danger.
Universal
Jack Nicholson won an Oscar for playing a grump who got hoodwinked into caring for a dog named Verdell in "As Good as It Gets" -- also starring Helen Hunt.
TriStar Pictures
Orion the cat has an entire missing galaxy hanging from his collar in 1997's "Men in Black," starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith.
Columbia Pictures
Don't you dare mess with Mr. Jinx, precious cat to military man played by Robert De Niro in "Meet the Parents."
Universal
It was the cat in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" that brought the two lovers (played by Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard) together in the end.
Paramount Pictures

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Unforgettable cats, dogs, bears, goats and more

Even when the focus of a film or TV show is on its human stars, cameos and small parts by animals can quickly snatch attention away from the headlining actors. Click through to see our list of scene-stealing animals:

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