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Going Bananas

  • 1987
  • PG
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
2.9/10
548
YOUR RATING
Going Bananas (1987)
AdventureComedy

While on vacation in a fictitious African country, the young son of a US senator, his guardian and their guide must stop the corrupt local police chief and the shady owner of a local circus ... Read allWhile on vacation in a fictitious African country, the young son of a US senator, his guardian and their guide must stop the corrupt local police chief and the shady owner of a local circus from capturing their new friend - a talking ape.While on vacation in a fictitious African country, the young son of a US senator, his guardian and their guide must stop the corrupt local police chief and the shady owner of a local circus from capturing their new friend - a talking ape.

  • Director
    • Boaz Davidson
  • Writers
    • Tamar Bornstein-Lazar
    • Menahem Golan
  • Stars
    • Dom DeLuise
    • Jimmie 'JJ' Walker
    • David Mendenhall
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    2.9/10
    548
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Boaz Davidson
    • Writers
      • Tamar Bornstein-Lazar
      • Menahem Golan
    • Stars
      • Dom DeLuise
      • Jimmie 'JJ' Walker
      • David Mendenhall
    • 16User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos7

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    Top cast22

    Edit
    Dom DeLuise
    Dom DeLuise
    • Big Bad Joe Hopkins
    Jimmie 'JJ' Walker
    Jimmie 'JJ' Walker
    • Mozambo
    • (as Jimmie C. Walker)
    David Mendenhall
    David Mendenhall
    • Ben McNamara
    Deep Roy
    Deep Roy
    • Bonzo
    Warren Berlinger
    Warren Berlinger
    • Palermo
    Herbert Lom
    Herbert Lom
    • Captain Mackintosh
    Len Sparrowhawk
    • Ship's Captain
    Peter J. Elliott
    • First Mate…
    Fats Dibeco
    • Sergeant Abdul
    Graham Armitage
    Graham Armitage
    • Cake Waiter
    Mike Westcott
    • Robert Anderson, American Ambassador
    Philip van der Byl
    • Clown #1
    • (as Philip Van der Byl)
    Bobby Porter
    Bobby Porter
    • Clown #3
    Irene Frangs
    • Nurse
    Simpson Correra
    • Dentist…
    Gertrude Chifamba
    • Dentist's wife
    Andrew Whaley
    • Young Waiter
    Tzvi Shissel
    Tzvi Shissel
    • The Drunk
    • (as Zvi Shisel)
    • Director
      • Boaz Davidson
    • Writers
      • Tamar Bornstein-Lazar
      • Menahem Golan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews16

    2.9548
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    Featured reviews

    jshell26

    I love Bonzo

    This movie was AWESOME !! It was so ridiculous. I LOVE BEN & BONZO !!!!

    How could you not love that adorable ape?? And what about Ben??? He and Bonzo really made a nice pair!!

    I recommend that you DONT let your kids watch this movie as it is too violent! You don't want your little one to be influenced by this banana throwing ape! I can see it now, you are in a nice restaurant and your little tike jumps up on the tables and starts launching bananas at the waiter!!!!

    Hope you all enjoyed this creative flick as much as I did! It is a CLASSIC !!
    1MJK-5

    I love monkey movies, but.....

    A good friend of mine one said: "A monkey is funny, anytime, anywhere." There is one exception to this: GOING BANANAS. It is quite simply the WORST MOVIE I have ever seen. It's worse than PLAN 9, worse than THE BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS. It is TERRIBLE. The talking monkey gag gets old after about three minutes, and believe me that's all there is. Make sure you have a bunch of people around to revive you after you go into TOXIC SHOCK from GOING BANANAS, the worst movie ever.
    10channelthe

    An absolute comedic genius of a movie

    This movie was heartfelt, hilarious, and above all monkyishaus. In fact it was so good that my son couldn't get enough of it.
    Wizard-8

    Golan-Globus strike again!

    Even if you get a kick out of all those terrible movies Israeli producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus did in the 80s, you'll probably still find GOING BANANAS tough going. Man, this is one BAD movie. There's nothing worse than an unfunny comedy. There are NO laughs in this movie. Not one. Too add insult to injury, everyone in the movie acts like a moron. Why do we want to watch a movie where everyone is a grating idiot? And despite actually filming this movie in Africa, almost all the movie looks like it was reproduced on a Hollywood back lot. I remember when this movie was released (direct-to-video - it was even too bad for Cannon to theatrically release!), an ad appeared in magazines for children - where all the "review blurbs" were provided by kids, and not actual reviewers! "The monkey was so funny!" said one kid. I hope I never have to meet that now grown-up kid.
    KatMiss

    SHOCKINGLY AWFUL!!!

    "Going Bananas" is one of the worst comedies ever made. It has not one laugh in it. Not one. At all! It just meanders on endlessly for 95 minutes and goes nowhere. I've seen "ER" episodes with more laughs than this.

    What a waste of comic talent. This has Dom DeLuise ("The 12 Chairs", "Blazing Saddles" "Silent Movie"), Jimmy Walker ("Good Times) and Herbert Lom (Dreyfus from "The Pink Panther" series). You might ask me, "Bill, how can a film with those three be bad?" Watch this movie and find out.

    They don't even take advantage of the premise: a safari. I'm sure there are many comic possiblities in this. But a safari film can also be a thrilling adventure like Cornel Wilde's great "The Naked Prey". "Going Bananas" fails on that level also. The most threatening thing that happens in this: a chase in the circus. OOOOHHHH! I'M SCARED!

    "Going Bananas" was apparently so bad that it wasn't even released theatrically. Instead, it was released straight to tape. I'm not sure which is worse: charging people $5 or $20 to view this travesty. Even worse than that were the ads: quotes (supposedly) from children who have viewed the film. Brother, they must have been on Ritalin because any normal child would hate this, just like my family did. Roger Ebert often says that a bad movie should be cut up into something the poor can use. My suggestion for "Going Bananas": could be useful to even out short legs on a table or stool.

    no stars out of 4 stars

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    Related interests

    Still frame
    Adventure
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      At some point Bud Spencer was considered in the role of Big Bad Joe, promotional material with him having already been made. It was also considered to use a real trailed ape in the role of Bonzo.
    • Goofs
      The barrel on Mozambo's rifle is bent when they sneak into the circus.
    • Quotes

      Ship's Captain: He's going to the jungles of Africa, slippers won't save him.

      Big Bad Joe: Captain, I've been appointed as this boy's caretaker for the remainder of this journey.

      Ben: Captain, my father arranged for a guide to meet us.

      Ship's Captain: A guide huh? He'll probably eat you

      [laughs]

      Ship's Captain: .

    • Connections
      Featured in Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)

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    FAQ15

    • How long is Going Bananas?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 12, 1988 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Israel
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • My African Adventure
    • Filming locations
      • Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
    • Production companies
      • The Cannon Group
      • Golan-Globus Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 35m(95 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Ultra Stereo

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