Another classic children's book character has grabbed the public's attention once again by jumping from the pages to the big screen. "The Man in the Yellow Hat" appears in this new tale about how he and that lovable monkey, George, began a friendship that would be the source of numerous wild adventures that readers have enjoyed for many years.
However, if nostalgia is not enough to drive people to theaters, perhaps the talented artists and actors that contributed to this film will persuade moviegoers to give it a chance. Besides having two writers who have previously worked on such films as "Chicken Little" and "Monsters Inc.," the film has met the approval of its producer, acclaimed director Ron Howard.
In addition, the film features the vocal talents of the one and only Will Ferrell ("Old School") as well as the voices of Drew Barrymore ("Fever Pitch"), David Cross ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") and Eugene Levy ("The Man"). Oh, and that mischievous chimp must not be forgotten; despite not speaking any actual words, Curious George is not a mute animal and all of his little animal noises are produced by Frank Welker who specializes in animated character voices.
"Curious George," which officially opens Friday, will likely be met with overwhelming excitement and anticipation of children. Six-year-old Greta Schermitzler of Delafield does not like monkeys, but after seeing a sneak preview of the film, she agreed with every child in the theater when she said, "George was really funny."
Anyone who knows the "Curious George" books knows what kinds of mischief that little monkey can get to. Nowadays, that is not the case. Many children today are not familiar with these classic stories, and this movie was their first experience with the legendary Curious George and The Man in the Yellow Hat.
That being said, the movie does a stand up job of giving each of these characters a strong background. Since the "Curious George" books focus specifically on the monkey business George gets himself into, there is no context. The movie provides that, but not without some flaws.
Because it is a feature-length film, there is no way writers could have created a storyline with no significant dialogue. Books hold the luxury of being able to have a narrator. To supplement George's lack of dialogue, The Man in the Yellow Hat is given a name (Ted), a profession (museum curator) and even a love interest (a teacher played by Drew Barrymore). Therefore, Ted becomes a much more central character than in the books.
As inquisitive as a small child, George remains the chief deliverer of fun and entertainment for the audience. It is a tad annoying, though, that George actually does not receive his name until quite a bit of the film has lapsed. He continues to be called Monkey for longer than is desirable.
However, whatever his name, George's insatiable curiosity about his constantly changing surroundings are the source for constant laughter throughout the film. This is a movie that children will enjoy and probably want to see again. Children will come bursting out of the theater with their own favorite scene. Greta Schermitzler's favorite part involved George, a chameleon, and a number of different-colored animals. And don’t worry — like the best of animated cinema, the writers did not forget those adults in the crowd, and among other things, the "yellow" jokes made at Ted are quite humorous.
A movie is only as great as the many pieces that put it together, and no film would be complete without a soundtrack. This will be the first thing many adults notice as "Curious George" begins playing. The music for this film includes original recordings by Jack Johnson, and let's just say that the lyrics and melodies really tie the whole movie together. All in all, "Curious George" is a quality cinematic achievement and although it is geared toward a certain demographic, namely families and children, hopefully nostalgia or mere curiosity will encourage others to go see it for themselves.
Rating: 3 out of 5
