Sheep & Wolves is a 2018 Russian computer-animated fantasy comedy film, that contains elements of the fairy tale “The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats,” with the concept of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It is about a carefree wolf who likes to hunt sheep, but one day finds that he has been magically transformed into a sheep himself.
Although critical reactions were mostly positive in its native country, the film received generally negative reviews elsewhere. However, despite the poor reception and disappointing box office performance, a theatrical sequel entitled Sheep & Wolves: Pig Deal was released in 2021.
Plot[]
A sheep named Zico, while attempting to document the outdoor wildlife, discovers to his horror a wolf named Grey, and flees screaming back to the safety of his house in Sheep Village, located near a newly arrived pack of wolves who set up camp in the ravine. The wise leader of the wolf pack, Magra, announces that he’ll retire soon, and the two candidates must fight for the rite of succession. One is Ragear, a bloodthirsty, bad-tempered and selfish wolf who disregards Marga’s values for all life, including prey. The other is Grey, who is in love with the beautiful she-wolf Bianca. However, he acts like a joker, never taking anything seriously, much to Bianca’s chagrin. After Grey humiliates Ragear for disobeying Magra’s orders, he then encounters a little lamb named Shia, who disobeyed his older sister Lyra by wandering into the meadow. Grey nevertheless lets Shia go unharmed.
During a celebration at the wolf pack, Grey humiliates Ragear further, which causes Bianca to walk out on him in disgust and end her relationship with him, citing that he’s still too immature to be the next leader. Grey visits a gypsy camp celebration, and meets the eccentric jackrabbit, Mami. She gives Grey a transmutation potion, which he hopes will make him change so Bianca will love him again. However, the potion transforms him into a ram. Fleeing from his former pack mates, Grey gets knocked out, only to wake up in Sheep Village under Lyra’s care.
Grey struggles to cope with being a ram. At first, he tries to convince himself that he’s only dreaming, but accepts the truth, until he remembers that it was Mami who gave him a potion. Finding the gypsy camp deserted, he returns to Sheep Village. The wolf pack believes that Grey ran way, scared to fight Ragear.
The next morning, Grey is invited by Shia and the talkative Moz to attend the tournament. When Grey finds himself fighting the champion Louis the Fierce, he resorts to biting, which angers everyone. Grey soon earns the friendship of the herd afterwards when he protects Lyra and Shia from two wolves. At a welcome party, Grey foolishly inspires Shia to go fight wolves, but the lamb is captured by Ragear, after witnessing him murder Magra and take over the wolf pack. Grey and Moz rescue Shia, but Ragear is informed that Grey has been turned into a ram. He incites the pack to kill all the sheep in the village.
Feeling lonely, Grey returns to the mountains, where he encounters Bianca, who tells him of Ragear’s takeover and Magra’s death (though unaware that Ragear killed him), which she blames Grey for and runs away in tears. He is photographed by Zico, who then informs the village that Grey is a spy for the wolves. Grey furiously leaves Sheep Village, but Shia recognizes him as the wolf who spared his life in the meadow. Grey nevertheless leaves, until he collapses from exhaustion and is discovered by Mami. The jackrabbit informs him that the wolf pack will attack the village, but Grey can transform back to a wolf if he reaches a certain tree by noon the following day. Despite his chance to change back, Grey returns to Sheep Village to warn the flock. He encourages him to fight back.
The next morning, the wolf pack is thwarted by various traps and defenses, until they chase the sheep into a cave, only to be sealed inside with water flooding in. Not wishing to let his pack drown, Grey saves the pack, only for Ragear to seize Shia. The lamb reveals that Ragear was responsible for Magra’s death, and Grey challenges Ragear to a fight for leadership. Mami and Bianca arrives to give Grey the potion to turn him back to a wolf, but nothing happens. Continuing to fight Ragear, Grey is brutally attacked under a pile of rocks, only to emerge having changed back into his old wolf self. Ragear hops onto a branch, but it snaps under his weight and he falls over a waterfall to his death.
Humbled and having learned maturity while as a ram, Grey finally proposes to Bianca, they are married in Sheep Village, and the wolf pack and sheep herd live together in peace. Nearby, Mami explains that the potion she and Bianca gave Grey was just spring water, and his transformation came from having learned responsibility. She looks on as the village of sheep and wolves celebrate their new united community.
Songs[]
- "Raised High"
Voice cast[]
- Tom Felton as Grey, a bumbling and fun-loving young wolf, and the next in line to become the new leader of the wolf pack.
- Ruby Rose as Bianca, a young female wolf, and Grey’s love interest.
- Jim Cummings as the following characters:
Magra, the pack’s original leader
Cliff, a seagull pretending to be a sheep
Baron, Mami’s gypsy partner and an entertainer rabbit
- Rich Orlow as Ragear, the film’s main antagonist.
- Thomas Ian Nicholas and Lex Lang (respectively) as Skinny & Hobbler, the comic relief duo of the wolf pack.
- Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld and Emily Bauer (respectively, both uncredited) as Sarabi and Leah, two of Bianca’s friends.
Rosenfeld also voices Shia, Lyra’s mischievous younger brother.
- China Ann McClain as Lyra, a ewe who runs a hair salon.
- Sarah Natochenny as Xavi, Shia's best friend.
- Ross Marquand as Zico, a neurotic photographer ram.
- Peter Linz as Moz, a talkative, socially awkward ram in love with Lyra.
- Tyler Bunch as Belgour, the superstitious, aged leader of Sheep Village.
Bunch also voices Bucho, an ox living in Sheep Village.
- Marc Thompson as Ike, a gluttonous but good-natured ram.
- JB Blanc as Louis, dubbed “King Louis the Fierce,” the much-adored Horns & Hooves Tournament fighting champion.
- Jennie Grace as Mami, a gypsy jackrabbit.
External links[]
Sheep & Wolves on YouTube