Movie Review: Curious George (2006)
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What Parents Should Know
Parents should know that there isn't a lot to be concerned
about here. There are some product placements, some flirting,
moral ambiguity, and an emotionally intense scene in which
George is removed -- at the Man in the Yellow Hat's request --
by animal control. One man schemes to replace a museum with a
profitable parking lot. Ted himself tries to fool the museum
patrons with a fraud, something he is not punished for. An
apartment building manager roughly chases the monkey from room
to room, then evicts Ted, who has to sleep on a park bench that
night.
Families can talk about what they liked about the movie and if anything scared them. They can ask what makes George so curious. Is he a troublemaker or does he just act like a kid? Older kids can talk about how Ted's relationship with George changes -- what does Ted realize George brings to his life?
Families could also compare this movie to the books upon which it's based, and about which one they prefer and why.
Common Sense Media Review
Congenial and colorful, CURIOUS GEORGE takes its cues from
children's animated TV. It delivers simple concepts, bright
reds and yellows, and a cute-as-can-be monkey named George
(squeaks and grunts furnished by Frank Walker).
Happy enough when he first appears making trouble in the jungle among his animal friends, George is smitten when he spots the Man in the Yellow Hat. Mistaking the hat for a banana, George grabs it, and a friendship evolves.
Younger kids will like George, and may recognize the plot's of several of the classic books woven into the story. While Curious George seems innocuous, it's also slow going for adults and some kids (a couple of bored 8-year-olds walked out during a preview screening).
The Man (here named Ted and voiced by Will Ferrell) begins the film as a timid museum doyen who goes to "Africa" (here a stereotypical version, with big trees and an accented guide), in pursuit of a magnificent legendary shrine. If he can bring it back to the city, his employer Mr. Bloomsberry (Dick Van Dyke) won't have to close the museum, which is losing money. (It's worth noting that while Ted tends to over-describe each point about his friendship with George, the depiction of "Africa" needs more context).
For all the excitement about his journey, Ted only finds an idol about two inches tall. Feeling pressured by the pervasive advertisements trumpeting a spectacular "eighth wonder of the world," Ted tries to hide the truth from Bloomsberry.
Though he's briefly distracted by adorable schoolteacher Maggie (Drew Barrymore), Ted spends most of his time chasing after George, who gets into all kinds of trouble, splattering paint throughout Miss Plushbottom's (Joan Plowright) apartment, floating away on zoo balloons, and wreaking havoc when he projects a huge image of himself in downtown traffic. (This leads to a couple of predictable King Kong jokes.)
As Ted worries about what to do, Junior Bloomsberry (David Cross) is not-so-secretly pleased at his failure, as he hopes to raze the museum and put up a parking lot. (He's competing with Ted, whom his father seems to like best.) The film winds down into more slapstick, as George -- like Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby -- destroys a brontosaurus skeleton and causes Ted still more anguish.
The bottom line: Great monkey -- and some silly monkey business -- but pretty short on plot, and what's there is predictable.
Families who like this movie can also see Finding Nemo , the animated 101 Dalmatians , or Charlotte's Web . You might also like the fabulous comedy Bringing Up Baby , which features a live-action version of the collapsing dinosaur skeleton.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
