Meghan Markle's Disney 'Elephant' debut panned by critics as 'shallow,' cheesy
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meghan Markle's first post-royal gig as the narrator of Disney's upcoming documentary titled "Elephant" has been dubbed cheesy and "shallow" by critics ahead of its streaming debut.
Set to be released on Disney+ on April 3, a majority of film critics based in the United Kingdom rated "Elephant" three out of five stars, calling out the Duchess of Sussex's voice acting as overdramatized.
The documentary follows the journey of African elephants on an eight-month trek across the Kalahari Desert.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MEGHAN MARKLE NARRATING ELEPHANT DOCUMENTARY ON DISNEY+
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex pose for engagement photos. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty)
For The Times of London's Ed Potton, the former "Suits" star traded "pomp and circumstance for schmaltz and cheesiness."
"The silken tones that Meghan employed on the legal series 'Suits' and which were often muzzled during her time as a full-time royal are now given free rein," Potton wrote on Tuesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"And yes, she certainly has an actor’s way with a phrase and a likeable sense of mischief. “Oh! Who did that?” she coos in mock disgust when one of the elephant calves breaks wind. The sense of performance, though, often feels overegged. Even the underwhelming moment in which the elephants rip some bark off a tree is presented like the announcement of the winner for best picture."
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Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends the annual Remembrance Sunday memorial at The Cenotaph on November 10, 2019 in London, England. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
"Elephant" was directed by Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield and Vanessa Berlowitz, who all reportedly worked on director David Attenborough's "Planet Earth."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Overall, Potton said "Elephant" serves as a hint that "evidence-based nature documentaries" may be a thing of the past, as the Markle-lead documentary "feels a bit shallow."
Meanwhile, Variety critic Owen Gleiberman called the theme of "Elephant" "rather dry" for a flick intended to shed light on the species' risk of ivory poaching.
Gleiberman described Markle's narration as "an inviting version of the wholesome but amused Disney narrator singsong."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY SUSPEND THEIR OFFICIAL INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT: 'THANK YOU TO THIS COMMUNITY'
Britain's Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan hold their baby son Archie as they meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town on September 25, 2019. (HENK KRUGER/AFP/Getty Images)
Empire's Ian Freer said Markle's narration came off as 'over-eager to please" with dramatizations. Freer said, though, that the Duchess managed to stay on "the right side of annoying."
Film critic Robbie Collin of The Telegraph called Markle was a "fine fit" as the documentary narrator, stressing that the documentary is geared toward a young audience.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"If you're home-schooling at present, consider your Friday morning's activities taken care of," Collin, who gave the doc three stars, wrote.
Markle reportedly accepted the voiceover gig in return for a donation to Elephants Without Borders, a non-profit organization in Botswana that aims to protect the species from poaching.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Markle reportedly landed the role after her husband, Prince Harry, talked up Meghan's interest in narrating a project to Disney's then-CEO Bob Iger at the London premiere of "The Lion King" last July.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have relocated to Los Angeles after briefly living in Canada, according to reports. (AP)
In a video obtained by the Daily Mail, Harry is seen approaching Iger about Meghan doing voiceover work. "You know, she does voiceovers," Harry could be heard saying to Iger, 68, as the prince pointed to his wife.
"Oh really, I did not know that," Iger said.
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"She's really interested," said Harry.
"We'd love to try," Iger responded.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Elephant" will serve as Markle's first entertainment gig after she and Harry announced their plans to step back as senior members of the royal family. The couple will no longer hold an official office at Buckingham Palace come April 1, according to reports.