Have made no secret of loving almost all the Rabbit Ears Productions adaptations, even the weakest like 'Squanto and the First Thanksgiving' and 'Brer Rabbit and the Wonderful Tar Baby' are still good. Their We All Have Tales series, along with Storybook Classics, was particularly consistent, containing some of the company's best. Such as 'The Fool and the Flying Ship', 'Peachboy' and 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon'. Also wanted to see it because of wanting to see more things Colombian/Amazon Jungle-set and because of having a high opinion of Raul Julia.
'The Monkey People' is not one of the best Rabbit Ears Productions adaptations or one of their most accessible, but it is still a delight and a lot of spirited fun. Also doing very well at making me want to get to know Colombian stories and the culture more. The visual style is striking and those that love Julia's voice (am one of those people) will not be disappointed as he is very well served. Pretty much everything in 'The Monkey People' works with little wrong.
Was not crazy about the portrayal of the human characters to begin with, with them seeming a little too selfish and ungrateful.
Other than that, 'The Monkey People' is delightful. The visuals are absolutely enchanting, with very atmospheric use of silhouette reminiscent of the visual style of Rabbit Ears' adaptation of 'The Fisherman and His Wife' (done by the same illustrator) except not as surreal. The more the monkeys multiply, the more behaviours the monkeys take on and the more human the behaviours become, the visuals do become bolder and darker but not in a way that makes one question the target audience or where it jars tonally.
Loved the music too, loved the energetic rhythms, that are immediately recognisable, and there is a real feel of being in the jungle thanks to the clever but not stereotypical orchestration. Especially the more percussive ones. Julia's narration is soothing and suave, while also having some humorous comic timing.
Furthermore, the writing has good natured humour while being honest and direct, but not preachy, messaging. It's mature, without being over-serious or confusing. The story is told with spirited energy and is fun and charming. The monkey characters are more interesting than the humans and have really fun personalities.
In summation, great. 9/10.
