140 reviews
It's a child movie, but yeah, you can watch it. It has a lot of fun! Do not consider the Age bar
I was just chilling down, was looking to watch some movie with less or no expectations which made me turn down to this one.
It turned out to be an above average movie.
If you like animated stuff, don't miss this. Right after 20 minutes of the movie, I started becoming curious what's next in the movie. The climax amazed me. Should, should have run a little longer. The direction was superb. All boxes and characters ticked right from the start. A completely satisfying end to the movie.
- pawanpunjabithewriter
- Dec 7, 2019
- Permalink
Very pleasant surprise
Here I am, taking my 2 year old to a movie expecting to be bored stiff. Much to my surprise, my 8 year old also enjoyed it, and my 2 year old sat enraptured and watched the entire movie without a peep. And then talked non-stop about it for the next couple days. That is enough for a positive rating, but I also found myself enjoying this cute movie. Usually for that to happen the movie makers have to put in scenes just for the parents that the kids don't get at all, not here, I found myself chuckling at the same things my daughter did. Just simple innocent monkey business and a bumbling Will Ferrel, it needs no more. I even thought the additions by Jack Lullaby Johnson added to the movie, not just to put the parents asleep. We will definitely end up with this movie on our shelves for the kids, and even the parents can watch it one or 2 more times without going out of our minds with the typical substitute stupid for cute fare that usually passes for children movies.
- manicgecko
- Feb 12, 2006
- Permalink
A kids movie that is actually for kids
I took my two-year-old son to see this movie, his first in a theater, and we both had a great time. Curious George is a light-hearted, sweet movie that portrays our little monkey's mayhem without resorting to manic pacing, blaring music or wise-cracking.
In fact, the makers deliberately put very little into the movie that is aimed over the children's head and at the parents. So, unlike a Shrek or a Toy Story movie, there was never an instance of a joke that mommy and daddy laugh at and the kids miss. All the jokes are shared.
So, see this movie with a small one. It probably isn't 'slick' enough for anyone over 8. People without small children can take a pass. The most hard core Curious George fans can rent the DVD.
In fact, the makers deliberately put very little into the movie that is aimed over the children's head and at the parents. So, unlike a Shrek or a Toy Story movie, there was never an instance of a joke that mommy and daddy laugh at and the kids miss. All the jokes are shared.
So, see this movie with a small one. It probably isn't 'slick' enough for anyone over 8. People without small children can take a pass. The most hard core Curious George fans can rent the DVD.
I'll be honest....I LIKED it!
I thought I would be bored out of my SKULL seeing this, but I really enjoyed a lot of this movie. I am glad I watched this with some friends and their siblings, and by the end of it we were all pretty cheerful, Curious George is such a gentle, light feel-good movie!
Ted (voiced by Will Ferrell) is a guide at a museum. He needs more fun in his life, and it comes in the form of a cute little monkey, who Ted names George, after the George Washington statue. George stowed away on Ted's boat, after Ted was sent to find some ancient shrine in Africa - and lo behold! George is now part of Ted's life. However, George is a bit difficult, and Ted's life gets more and more stressful in the process...
I thought the music was the highlight of the entire movie. Jack Johnson's soulful, calm, meaningful tracks just did it for me. Each song fit in perfectly with the movie too. The animation is fantastic. Though strictly childish, it is appealing to adults too! George is ADORABLE! Just look at him! I also liked the story, it is universal, and everyone enjoys a film, rather than kids freaking out and adults sitting there bored. Curious George does not do that. Everyone enjoys.
Ted (voiced by Will Ferrell) is a guide at a museum. He needs more fun in his life, and it comes in the form of a cute little monkey, who Ted names George, after the George Washington statue. George stowed away on Ted's boat, after Ted was sent to find some ancient shrine in Africa - and lo behold! George is now part of Ted's life. However, George is a bit difficult, and Ted's life gets more and more stressful in the process...
I thought the music was the highlight of the entire movie. Jack Johnson's soulful, calm, meaningful tracks just did it for me. Each song fit in perfectly with the movie too. The animation is fantastic. Though strictly childish, it is appealing to adults too! George is ADORABLE! Just look at him! I also liked the story, it is universal, and everyone enjoys a film, rather than kids freaking out and adults sitting there bored. Curious George does not do that. Everyone enjoys.
Great for small kids!
Curious George is a rare thing in Hollywood these days: a big budget feature ($50,000,000) that is specifically tailored to small children. Oh yes, they could have possibly made more of a profit had it been a straight to DVD release or put in less effort into the animation, but the studio decided to have some balls, take a risk, and go all out for this feature. I am so glad they did! This film avoids a lot of the pop culture references that one finds in most animated features and decides to focus on George's antics. That was a very good decision. Kids can identify with a curious monkey with seemingly limitless energy, an excitable innocence, and fun filled nature. The opening credits clearly establish the personality and good humor of George, and it just gets better from there. Jack Johnson was commissioned to write the music, and his whimsy is a perfect compliment to the mood of the movie. No, it is not a perfect film that transcends the genre of animated movies and there are plot holes. But in a film so fun loving and innocent, who cares about the small details. This film is appropriate from age 2 and up. Parents will enjoy seeing their kids laugh and having a good time. Simply put, if you want something safe for kids to watch, get this movie. Or better yet, read them the original Curious George stories.
Sweet, pleasant movie for children
First off, let me say that this is a movie for younger children. The sneak preview that I attended was filled with laughter from the children in the audience and my 4 year old wants to see it again. Those adults looking for a comedy in the vein of "Shrek" or "The Incredibles" will be disappointed. Those thinking along the lines of "Clifford's Really Big Movie" will be pleasantly surprised. Those fearing the worst that this is another "Garfield", breathe easy. Watching Curious George is a perfectly pleasant way to spend an hour and a half with your child. The 2D treatment was much more appropriate for bringing H.A. Rey's books to the screen than the computer generated style that is predominant it today's animated films. While Curious George won't be on my list of this year's favorites, it was a warm, endearing film that evoked warm memories of my childhood.
Good for a kids movie
This movie has heart. It's a kid's movie but it's still so cute. Much better than the PBS show, in my opinion.
- etakyzzilvuli
- Sep 5, 2019
- Permalink
Curious George
- TheStudlyDuckling
- Apr 18, 2006
- Permalink
Amazing
My eight-year-old son said to me on the way out "Mom, that was the best movie I've ever seen".
Myself? I had my jaw dropped, tears in my eyes, and my spirits were soaring.
Finally - a movie you can take your kids to see with no "adult humor" that may or may not fly over your kids' heads. No farting or potty humor. A TRUE children's movie that does beautiful justice to the beloved books.
Outstanding traditional animation. Loved all the primary colors! Great soundtrack - just went out and bought it today. I am taking my kids to see this one in the theater again (a first for me), and we can't wait for it to come out on DVD.
Thanks Ron Howard - you have a winner here.
Myself? I had my jaw dropped, tears in my eyes, and my spirits were soaring.
Finally - a movie you can take your kids to see with no "adult humor" that may or may not fly over your kids' heads. No farting or potty humor. A TRUE children's movie that does beautiful justice to the beloved books.
Outstanding traditional animation. Loved all the primary colors! Great soundtrack - just went out and bought it today. I am taking my kids to see this one in the theater again (a first for me), and we can't wait for it to come out on DVD.
Thanks Ron Howard - you have a winner here.
- kathryn-behm
- Feb 12, 2006
- Permalink
Simple but sincere adaptation of the children's books.
Ted (Will Farrell) is a good natured but simple tour guide at the Bloomsbury museum. With museum attendance no longer being sufficient enough to justify continued operation Mr. Bloomsbury (Dick Van Dyke) must reluctantly go with his son Junior's (David Cross) plan of selling the museum to be turned into a parking structure. Wanting to save the museum Ted proposes a last ditch effort to find the fabled Lost Idol of Zagawa to get a new attraction to draw in audiences. Bloomsbury agrees and Ted is off to Africa. Once there Ted's Idol falls short of expectations, and befriends a monkey who grows an affinity for Ted's yellow hat. Upon return home, Ted must now find a way to deal not only with a public hungry for an idol that doesn't match the description but also a monkey with a penchant for good natured chaos.
Based on the series of children's books by H.A. and Margaret Rey, a feature film adaptation had been in development in fits and starts since 1990 when Universal first acquired the rights. The movie went through many stages of development including live action versions that would've been helmed by The Flintstones movies director Brian Levant, and live action/animated hybrids that would've been directed by acclaimed director Brad Bird. The various iterations of the projects were rejected for various reasons with some scripts being rejected for being too farcical, while others such as the Brad Bird version were rejected for being too "dark" and "adult". The final product directed by veteran animator Matthew O'Callaghan and written by Ken Kaufman while not great, is good.
The movie as it starts sets itself as a very relaxed and easy going pace as we're first introduced to George in his jungle environment playing with various facets and creatures in it. George himself is well animated and smoothly jumps, swings, and runs through a mixture of both 2D backdrops and 3d rendered models which give a nice illusion of depth and space to his movements. George is also like his literary counterpart mute (save for monkey chittering) and conveys character through a wide array of expressions complete with a larger mouth and eyes than in the books which is fairly well done.
The movie's human characters are all very nice counterparts to George, Will Farrell dials back his usually manic performance in favor of a more subdued every man who's trying to handle more than he can carry and makes a sympathetic and likable lead, the rest of the cast are also filled out rather nicely with Drew Barrymore playing a kind teacher who often takes her class to Ted's museum because she has a crush on Ted and brings warmth and sincerity to her performance. David Cross is very funny playing the antagonist of the movie as the jealous son of Bloomsbury who while definitely taken schadenfreude in the museum closing, doesn't play the character as a mustache twirling villain and gives more humanity and weight to a character that could have easily been written to be a hate sink. Dick Van Dyke is, no surprise, a good world weary performance in museum owner Bloomsbury and while he doesn't get to do much, he does lend credibility to the movie with well delivered and authoritative presence.
The movie's plot is very standard. The plot of the movie takes bits and pieces from events and plots of the Curious George books and rearranges them into episodes of what's essentially a buddy film structure. The movie's faithful to the books with the art style being a more detailed and expressive take on the book's illustrations and aside from the slight change in art style Curious George looks and feels like it could have come from the world the books create. The movie also avoids much in the way of pop culture and topical jokes (quite wisely given how "well" those worked in Mike Meyer's The Cat in the Hat), and aside from a brief scene where Curious George references King Kong with a hologram projector the movie exists in a timeless world that bases itself off the time period the books were illustrated.
Curious George is a sweet and simple film, but with that in mind it's a film made more for children than it is a broader family audience. Curious George with its relaxed pace, sweet characters, an antagonist who isn't all that antagonistic, and even plot points like the third act "on the outs nadir" are very light which makes good viewing for younger children. But as much as I respect Curious George for maintaining the tone of the books, it doesn't have much in the way of challenge for its audience. This is by no means a bad thing as there's a lack of movies that respect children and are specifically targeted towards children and there really hasn't been a film like Curious George since Follow That Bird from the 80s. But much like Follow That Bird, Curious George isn't a movie designed to cast a wide net and that limits its appeal beyond it child demographic.
Curious George is a simple but sincere film that should appeal to children and those with fond memories of the books. George is well animated and brings his lovable mischief to life with expressive movements and facial expressions, and the cast all bring warmth to their performances. While the movie doesn't have much in it for adult audiences, it's inoffensive and avoids pandering so it should be a easy enough sit that will be likable enough.
Based on the series of children's books by H.A. and Margaret Rey, a feature film adaptation had been in development in fits and starts since 1990 when Universal first acquired the rights. The movie went through many stages of development including live action versions that would've been helmed by The Flintstones movies director Brian Levant, and live action/animated hybrids that would've been directed by acclaimed director Brad Bird. The various iterations of the projects were rejected for various reasons with some scripts being rejected for being too farcical, while others such as the Brad Bird version were rejected for being too "dark" and "adult". The final product directed by veteran animator Matthew O'Callaghan and written by Ken Kaufman while not great, is good.
The movie as it starts sets itself as a very relaxed and easy going pace as we're first introduced to George in his jungle environment playing with various facets and creatures in it. George himself is well animated and smoothly jumps, swings, and runs through a mixture of both 2D backdrops and 3d rendered models which give a nice illusion of depth and space to his movements. George is also like his literary counterpart mute (save for monkey chittering) and conveys character through a wide array of expressions complete with a larger mouth and eyes than in the books which is fairly well done.
The movie's human characters are all very nice counterparts to George, Will Farrell dials back his usually manic performance in favor of a more subdued every man who's trying to handle more than he can carry and makes a sympathetic and likable lead, the rest of the cast are also filled out rather nicely with Drew Barrymore playing a kind teacher who often takes her class to Ted's museum because she has a crush on Ted and brings warmth and sincerity to her performance. David Cross is very funny playing the antagonist of the movie as the jealous son of Bloomsbury who while definitely taken schadenfreude in the museum closing, doesn't play the character as a mustache twirling villain and gives more humanity and weight to a character that could have easily been written to be a hate sink. Dick Van Dyke is, no surprise, a good world weary performance in museum owner Bloomsbury and while he doesn't get to do much, he does lend credibility to the movie with well delivered and authoritative presence.
The movie's plot is very standard. The plot of the movie takes bits and pieces from events and plots of the Curious George books and rearranges them into episodes of what's essentially a buddy film structure. The movie's faithful to the books with the art style being a more detailed and expressive take on the book's illustrations and aside from the slight change in art style Curious George looks and feels like it could have come from the world the books create. The movie also avoids much in the way of pop culture and topical jokes (quite wisely given how "well" those worked in Mike Meyer's The Cat in the Hat), and aside from a brief scene where Curious George references King Kong with a hologram projector the movie exists in a timeless world that bases itself off the time period the books were illustrated.
Curious George is a sweet and simple film, but with that in mind it's a film made more for children than it is a broader family audience. Curious George with its relaxed pace, sweet characters, an antagonist who isn't all that antagonistic, and even plot points like the third act "on the outs nadir" are very light which makes good viewing for younger children. But as much as I respect Curious George for maintaining the tone of the books, it doesn't have much in the way of challenge for its audience. This is by no means a bad thing as there's a lack of movies that respect children and are specifically targeted towards children and there really hasn't been a film like Curious George since Follow That Bird from the 80s. But much like Follow That Bird, Curious George isn't a movie designed to cast a wide net and that limits its appeal beyond it child demographic.
Curious George is a simple but sincere film that should appeal to children and those with fond memories of the books. George is well animated and brings his lovable mischief to life with expressive movements and facial expressions, and the cast all bring warmth to their performances. While the movie doesn't have much in it for adult audiences, it's inoffensive and avoids pandering so it should be a easy enough sit that will be likable enough.
- IonicBreezeMachine
- Mar 13, 2021
- Permalink
Ted
Why didn't they rename this one "Ted, the Man in the Yellow Suit, Who Doesn't Like Wearing it Very Much but Does Anyway Because the Book Says He Has Too". Ask any kid, their most favorite thing about Curious George - is Curious George. The few Curious George parts taken from the books were amusing but who wants to see a Curious George movie that's all about the quest for a giant museum exhibit not by Curious George? The irony of Hollywood these days is that they always prefer to show action rather then good dialogue but when they get a story with all action that could essentially be an awesome silent film they impress overwritten stilted dialogue. Hmm? Curious.
A sure bet for preschoolers and kids at heart.
Anymore animated movies are trying to appeal to adult audiences with crude humor, and double meanings. If I wanted to see an adult movie, I would get a babysitter. This is a movie FOR CHILDREN. I took my 2 and 3 year old girls to see it. It is a visually stunning rendering of the classic children's books. George is wholesome, endearing, and charming. The whimsical animation style breathes life to the character we remember fondly from our youth. He exudes youthful exuberance and energy and mischief.
It is a true G rated movie. I would say it reminds me of Classic Disney but even Cinderella had its wicked stepmother and Sleeping Beauty definitely had its scary moments. There is nothing here to frighten even the smallest children. Only delight them!
It is a true G rated movie. I would say it reminds me of Classic Disney but even Cinderella had its wicked stepmother and Sleeping Beauty definitely had its scary moments. There is nothing here to frighten even the smallest children. Only delight them!
Don't let the other reviewers fool you, this is not the original.
Okay, its funny and its cute. I may be a little over the age limit expected to see this movie but I liked it. The problem is (which totally ruined the movie for me) is that this is nothing like the Curious George books that I loved as a kid, I have all the books fro gods sake!!! First, The Man in the yellow hat (perfectly voiced by Will Ferrell) never had a name, in this his name is Ted. Second, why does this man need a girlfriend? the books never had any romance. Third, The Man in the yellow hat never had a boss named Mr. BloomsBerry. Fourth, the monkey did not seem at all curious, all he did was walk around causing trouble for the man in the yellow hat and finally it was too long for a little kids movie. This movie is enjoyable but somehow I knew that Hollywood would just try to make this a star studded movie and try to add drama, romance, adventure, city humor and references to King Kong (you'll see them, they're everywhere). I enjoyed the movie but not how bad it screwed up, kids will love it, but people who grew up loving the books will not.
intentions were good but story/plot just uninteresting.
i took my 3 yr old to see it. it dragged at times and he got distracted from the movie. My god! just name the monkey already. It was an hour into the movie before he gives the monkey a name which kind of set the stage for their relationship. Everything in the movie moved so slowly. They wasted a whole hour of the movie before George's situation is established. The plot about the dumb idol detracted from George's storyline. The movie should have featured more of his antics and misadventures. I was let down by that fact. the plot was not interesting at all; however I was immensely pleased with how different it was from today's typical kids movies like Daddy Day Care, etc.
- tomthevenot
- Feb 10, 2006
- Permalink
Best Movie EVER!!!!
This is the sweetest and most fun family friendly movie out there. The Curious George movies are excellent for all ages. The music is wonderful as well.
- wingodsaysso
- Mar 8, 2020
- Permalink
Sweet, good natured fun for kids
This is a fine adaptation of the classic children's books that so many people have learned to read on. The happy-go-lucky monkey lives up to his "curious" reputation and the human characters he encounters are integrated well to his story.
Basically, the plot follows the Man in the Yellow Hat (giving a fun back story on how he came to get that famous costume), as he searches for a valuable idol in Africa somewhere. George becomes intrigued with this strange visitor, and follows him around. The predictable mishaps occur and George is on his way to America. George's innocent, childlike curiosity leads to several amusing scenes and subplots. The friendship between the two and the romance of Yellow Hat and Miss Maggie are surprisingly cute. The bad guys are clearly defined but a gentle enough evil to be perfect foils for a children's film. There are some cleverly thought sight gags: my favorite is the giant holographic image comically frightening the city.
The humor is all the silly slapstick that kids will get, and the film resists the temptation to throw in that "second layer" of humor for older members of the audience. To the adults: just enjoy the smiles of the little ones as they watch.
Basically, the plot follows the Man in the Yellow Hat (giving a fun back story on how he came to get that famous costume), as he searches for a valuable idol in Africa somewhere. George becomes intrigued with this strange visitor, and follows him around. The predictable mishaps occur and George is on his way to America. George's innocent, childlike curiosity leads to several amusing scenes and subplots. The friendship between the two and the romance of Yellow Hat and Miss Maggie are surprisingly cute. The bad guys are clearly defined but a gentle enough evil to be perfect foils for a children's film. There are some cleverly thought sight gags: my favorite is the giant holographic image comically frightening the city.
The humor is all the silly slapstick that kids will get, and the film resists the temptation to throw in that "second layer" of humor for older members of the audience. To the adults: just enjoy the smiles of the little ones as they watch.
- MartianOctocretr5
- Jan 13, 2007
- Permalink
Delightful adventure. Curiosity has its moments.
- michaelRokeefe
- Jul 9, 2007
- Permalink
Nice film for the kids
This was a nice family film for the kids.
It doesn't have much of ANY subtle adult humor so if you are a parent and are expecting to be entertained you may be disappointed.
But the kids will love it because it's pure and sweet.
My wife enjoyed it more than I but I think all kids will have fun.
All our kids (newborn, 2, 4 and 6) enjoyed it.
The theater was packed with families and everyone seemed to also like it too.
I can't wait for the DVD to be out so our kids can watch it at home.
I give it a 7 out of 10.
It doesn't have much of ANY subtle adult humor so if you are a parent and are expecting to be entertained you may be disappointed.
But the kids will love it because it's pure and sweet.
My wife enjoyed it more than I but I think all kids will have fun.
All our kids (newborn, 2, 4 and 6) enjoyed it.
The theater was packed with families and everyone seemed to also like it too.
I can't wait for the DVD to be out so our kids can watch it at home.
I give it a 7 out of 10.
Cute, Harmless Fun!
Nowadays, most animated films are films that are not all that suitable for young children either for frightening elements or a complicated plot. But now here is a G-rated film that is strictly for children, and I only mean children. I am not saying it's a bad film or anything, but I do not think adults will be able to handle this. Children will adore this film for sure. As a story, it does work pretty good. The animation leaves something to be desired and I feel like I'm watching a Saturday-morning cartoon.
This film, based off books I grew up with in my childhood, is about a guy named the Man in the Yellow Hat who ventures to Africa to find a relic for his museum that will save it from doom. There he meets a little mischievous monkey who ends up becoming mates with the man.
This film has some good voice talent here. It took me awhile to digest that Will Ferrell voices the Man because this is definitely not his typical fare. I think he does a good job here. Drew Barrymore is pretty good as the teacher of all the schoolchildren.
Overall, Curious George is a harmless film for children. I don't think many adults will find substance to this film. This is a good film to watch at home, but not to see in the theaters. Personally, I enjoyed it but only to a degree. I admired it for what it is and how it does not try to be more. I rate this film 7/10.
This film, based off books I grew up with in my childhood, is about a guy named the Man in the Yellow Hat who ventures to Africa to find a relic for his museum that will save it from doom. There he meets a little mischievous monkey who ends up becoming mates with the man.
This film has some good voice talent here. It took me awhile to digest that Will Ferrell voices the Man because this is definitely not his typical fare. I think he does a good job here. Drew Barrymore is pretty good as the teacher of all the schoolchildren.
Overall, Curious George is a harmless film for children. I don't think many adults will find substance to this film. This is a good film to watch at home, but not to see in the theaters. Personally, I enjoyed it but only to a degree. I admired it for what it is and how it does not try to be more. I rate this film 7/10.
"...a reminder of what a CHILDREN'S animated movie is supposed to be like"
Wow, what a rare treat. A children's animated movie the is completely and totally suitable for children of all ages. I am not easily offended by movies for adults, but as a parent I am simply amazed at how much children's entertainment is really NOT fit children. Cat in the Hat, also from Ron Howard and Imagine, was rude and crass. I am embarrassed when my six year old repeats lines from the movie like the whole dirty hoe thing and all that. This movie is a very gentle and kind movie. No double meanings, no sexually explicate or pop culture references to keep adults interested. A favorite children's book, that with any luck, will be a favorite children's movie. I have a feeling that this film may not be a box office success, yet I still think that it will have a very long life for many years to come on DVD and cable because it is such a great entertaining movie for kids. The Jack Johnson music is perfect. The animated style is wonderful. It is not the all-new and important CGI animation, but a traditionally animated film that uses the old styles that have all but been abandoned in feature films This is the best Disney animated movie that I have seen in the past decade. Well, of course this film isn't made by Disney, but this is the type of film that they should be making, even if only occasionally, as a reminder of what a CHILDREN'S animated movie is supposed to be like. In a way, the film is even sweeter than the stories from which it is based. I really can't find anything wrong with this film for children and as a parent, I was much happier to watch it than Garfield or Shark Tales (both of which I sleep through).
A little slow, maybe?
Well, let me first start out by saying that I DID enjoy the movie as a whole and my 4 and 5-year-old little boys did too. While watching the movie, however, both of my boys independently of each other asked, "when can we go home?" (I also heard other children in the theater asking to leave prior to the movie's end!) Even though I was looking forward to seeing the movie I have to admit that, in my opinion, its animation is geared towards 3-6 year-olds but the story line would seem to be more appreciated by 8-10 year-olds. While I enjoyed the typical Will Ferrell antics (he's great!) and the 2-D animation, I felt that the movie in its entirety was *whisper*---a little boring. Should you see it? Absolutely. Decide for yourself and let the rest of us know what you thought.
- amyesmith71-1
- Feb 17, 2006
- Permalink
Colonial robbery from Africa
Nice to teach the kids that it's ok to go to Africa and steal their lost treasures for an American museum 😉 i guess the colonialism isn't over in the minds of the producers and the studio
- golgo-71708
- Oct 4, 2020
- Permalink
Surprisingly, "curiously" good
- Ronald_Mexico
- Feb 18, 2006
- Permalink
Fun Movie For The Kiddies And All Who Loved George In The Past
The "Curious George" books were never my first choice for reading, even as a kid, but they were my wife's favourites, and so we rented this for our 3 year old daughter. It's a kids movie, and she watched it all the way through and her attention didn't seem to wander much, so I have to rate this as a success.
The story was updated pretty well to the 21st century (for example, cell phones) and the story was fun to follow and solved at least one of the things I didn't like about the original stories. My memory is that back then, George was captured by the man in the yellow hat (voiced in this movie by Will Ferrell) and brought back to a zoo, where the man tells him he'll be so much happier. This story is a little more eco-friendly. George likes Ted (the name of the man in the yellow hat) and follows him back without his knowledge. I still have a bit of trouble with the monkey wanting to leave the jungle to become a pet, but, hey, it's a kiddie movie, right? In a couple of ways, the movie is too formulaic. There's the apparently requisite romance, for example, between Ted and Maggie (Drew Barrymore.) Would kids really care? And, of course, there has to be the evil character, in the form of Junior (David Cross), whose father Mr. Bloomsberry (Dick Van Dyke) owns the museum Ted works at, and who sets out to close it to build a parking lot.
Having said that, the movie worked (especially for the target audience.) I got worried at one point because it seemed as though the solution for saving the museum was going to be built on a lie (what kind of message would that have been for kiddies?) but finally the lie is abandoned (interestingly enough it's evil Junior who points out that lying would be wrong - although he does it for his own evil purposes!) It's a lot of fun and has some great animation; worth renting for the kids, or if you have unsatisfied longings to return to your childhood. 7/10
The story was updated pretty well to the 21st century (for example, cell phones) and the story was fun to follow and solved at least one of the things I didn't like about the original stories. My memory is that back then, George was captured by the man in the yellow hat (voiced in this movie by Will Ferrell) and brought back to a zoo, where the man tells him he'll be so much happier. This story is a little more eco-friendly. George likes Ted (the name of the man in the yellow hat) and follows him back without his knowledge. I still have a bit of trouble with the monkey wanting to leave the jungle to become a pet, but, hey, it's a kiddie movie, right? In a couple of ways, the movie is too formulaic. There's the apparently requisite romance, for example, between Ted and Maggie (Drew Barrymore.) Would kids really care? And, of course, there has to be the evil character, in the form of Junior (David Cross), whose father Mr. Bloomsberry (Dick Van Dyke) owns the museum Ted works at, and who sets out to close it to build a parking lot.
Having said that, the movie worked (especially for the target audience.) I got worried at one point because it seemed as though the solution for saving the museum was going to be built on a lie (what kind of message would that have been for kiddies?) but finally the lie is abandoned (interestingly enough it's evil Junior who points out that lying would be wrong - although he does it for his own evil purposes!) It's a lot of fun and has some great animation; worth renting for the kids, or if you have unsatisfied longings to return to your childhood. 7/10
All man, no monkey!
My four-year-old is a huge fan of the Curious George books. This film completely misses the mark. I was so annoyed coming out of the theater that I HAD to write this, my first review for IMDb.
What children love about the books is the little monkey's adventures, but this animated feature was entirely about adventures of "the man in the yellow hat," who was given the name "Ted" by the film's creators.
The film describes Ted's job, Ted's love interest, Ted's trip to Africa, Ted's apartment, Ted's clumsiness, etc. None of this mentioned in any of the original books. Our little monkey George has only a supporting role.
My son asked me throughout the film "Where's George, mom?" And I ask that of the filmmakers/script writers! Where IS George in this film? I know it is hard to have a main character who does not speak, as George in the book never says a word, but with any creativity the filmmakers could have done H.A. Rey's little monkey justice. This is about as poor a book-to-film adaptation as I have ever seen.
I regret bringing my boy to this film as his first film experience. I only hope it has not ruined his enjoyment of the books.
What children love about the books is the little monkey's adventures, but this animated feature was entirely about adventures of "the man in the yellow hat," who was given the name "Ted" by the film's creators.
The film describes Ted's job, Ted's love interest, Ted's trip to Africa, Ted's apartment, Ted's clumsiness, etc. None of this mentioned in any of the original books. Our little monkey George has only a supporting role.
My son asked me throughout the film "Where's George, mom?" And I ask that of the filmmakers/script writers! Where IS George in this film? I know it is hard to have a main character who does not speak, as George in the book never says a word, but with any creativity the filmmakers could have done H.A. Rey's little monkey justice. This is about as poor a book-to-film adaptation as I have ever seen.
I regret bringing my boy to this film as his first film experience. I only hope it has not ruined his enjoyment of the books.
- yvonnekennedy
- Jun 10, 2006
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