|
|
  
Back Shelf Beauties
|
Curious George No, this is not a movie with a Brokeback Mountain theme where George wants to explore his new, confusing feelings for the Man in the Yellow Hat (I like Brokeback Mountain, but the jokes are just too easy for a hack like me.). It's the same Curious George all of us loved when growing up, and this is a new adventure for our hero best seen by the smallest of children and parents grateful to get out of the house. Will Ferrell provides the voice of Ted - a tour guide whose museum is about to be sold and converted into a parking lot by Junior Bloomsbury (David Cross) - the greedy son of the owner, Mr. Bloomsbury (Dick Van Dyke). Ted deeply believes the museum should stand for all time to teach young children about history and artifacts, so he suggests someone go on an expedition to find an elusive and treasured idol, which would bring in more patrons. Of course, Ted is the one selected to go, so he buys himself a yellow suit and hat (sound familiar), and heads off to Africa to find the rarest and most storied of artifacts - The Lost Shrine of Zagawa. Once there, Ted meets up with a young, lively, lonely and mischievous monkey, who follows Ted all the way back to America, and tries to become the Man in the Yellow Hat's pet and friend. Will Ted find The Lost Shrine of Zagawa and save the museum? Will our young monkey friend be able to survive in the crazy city? Curious George is made for young children, and no one else. Parents will see the story's obvious twists and turns coming from a mile away, but will relish listening to the hysterical laughter of their young kids enjoying the slapstick antics and crazy situations George and The Man in the Yellow Hat seem to find themselves in time and time and time again. The team of writers (several are credited at www.IMDB.com and I cannot find an official credit on the Curious George web site) give Ted a love interest, Maggie (voice by Drew Barrymore), but the story feels squeezed in and forced as she disappears for long sections of the movie and never has meaningful interaction with Ted, while director Matthew O'Callaghan pads Curious George with slapstick sequences, visuals of George's wild adventures and plenty of music from Jack Johnson all in an attempt to make this sparse work into a full length feature movie. Everything is extremely simple as story gives way to Ted taking blows to the head and knees, while George messes everything up with his legendary curiosity, but that's what you expect to get in a movie like this. The kids won't understand the whole plot about the parking garage or the owner's son envying Ted's relationship with the old man, and parents will have a clear idea where it is all going from the moment any of them start to pay attention. Yet, it works in a playful, innocent and heartwarming fashion. Some of the graphics appear to be of crude quality, especially as you look at characters from a distance and see the differences in detail and coloring compared to those closest to the audience. However, Curious George wins over the target audience of those 7 and under with funny faces, lots of falling down and silly antics, and parents can appreciate a wholesome good time out with the family. 2 ½ Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2006 - WaffleMovies.com
|
