Sometimes, you need to fly a mile with another animal’s wings.

Or … smell … a cave full of snakes … with another creature’s nose.

OK, we should have stopped after one twist on the idea that the best way to understand another person’s perspective is to walk a mile in his or her shoes. Nevertheless, these are two riffs on that cliche used effectively in the new animated film “Swapped,” debuting this week on Netflix.

Produced by Skydance Animation, the colorful, richly detailed, Nathan Greno-directed movie offers a fresh take on the well-worn body-swapping trope, as what “Swapped” serves up — fairly effectively — is a species-switching gimmick.

The two lead characters are members of fictional species living in a land known as The Valley with a bit of magic. Ollie (voiced by Michael B. Jordan) is a sea otter-like Pookoo, while Ivy (Juno Temple) is a Javan, inspired by tropical birds.

When we are introduced to Ollie, he takes us back to the worst day of his life, when, as a highly curious, eager-to-explore youngster (voiced here by Camden Brooks), he showed a young Javan how to eat the sugar snap pea-like food source on which the Pookoo depend. Next thing he knows, the Javans are feasting on them, and, in the present day, the Pookoo are on the verge of starvation.

He sees himself as a disappointment to his father, Caloo (Cedric the Entertainer), and his mother, Calli (Justina Machado).

Just as he remembers something from that long-ago with a Javan that could be the key to keeping the birds away from the food, things take an unfortunate turn for him. An encounter with Ivy leads to Ollie touching a glowing pod — a remnant of majestic creatures that look like a cross between a tree and an elephant who are said to have been banished from The Valley by a maniacal Fire Wolf. Much to his horror, the pod turns him into a Javan.

He soon makes the acquaintance of Ivy, who, though bossing around sisters Violet (Ambika Mod) and Lily (Lolly Adefope), tries to help the small bird. Realizing the pod also has given him the ability to communicate with other species, he tries to convince her to leave him be, but he soon finds himself in need of her assistance.

The unlikely pair make friends with Boogle (Tracy Morgan), a grouper-like fish who says he’s spent a lifetime alone, which has given him time to swim all around The Valley. He says he knows where another pod can be found.

Of course, while his guidance leads to the pod, their venture results not in Ollie being changed back but instead in Ivy becoming a Pookoo — to her decided displeasure.

It’s enjoyable to watch the duo work together, Ivy desperately trying to teach Ollie to fly — “flap or splat,” she insists, using a phrase aimed at young Javans — and him guiding her to literally see what she smells.

Penned by John Whittington, Christian Magalhaes and Robert Snow — with the story-by credit shared among them, Adam Carp and Greno — “Swapped” traffics in familiar but valuable-for-kids themes such as the importance of working together and protecting the environment.

It also boasts a final major plot development we must admit we did not see coming.

Greno, best known for co-directing “Tangled,” a well-received 2010 spin on the “Rapunzel” fairy tale from Walt Disney Animation Studios, is steady at the helm here. “Swapped” moves swiftly and is likely to hold the attention of younger viewers while providing enough to engage their parents.

The voice work is solid across the board, with Jordan (“Creed,” “Sinners”) and Temple (“Ted Lasso,” TV’s “Fargo”) making a really fun duo, even though, as has become a common practice, they recorded their parts separately. And Morgan (“Saturday Night Live,” “30 Rock”) brings a bit more to the table than you may expect.

“Swapped” is at least a slight improvement over previous Skydance Animation releases “Luck” (2022, Apple TV) and “Spellbound” (2024, Netflix). However, the latter boasted musical numbers — by the acclaimed Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin”) — and the lack of songs is likely to contribute to this new film falling well short of the animated-classic realm.

That said, there is a certain melody in its urging for empathy.

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‘SWAPPED’

2.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: PG (for action/peril and some scary images)

Running time: 1:42

How to watch: Netflix

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