George of the Jungle

Big screen adaptation of the much beloved cartoon character recounts how George (admirably played with affable density by Brendan Fraser) met his wife Ursula (played by the adorable Leslie Mann). The only thing standing between them being Ursula's mom (played by Holland Taylor), Ursula's obnoxious fiance Lyle (Thomas Haden Church) and poacher duo. Helping George is his loyal elephant/dog Shep, the toucan, and the Ape Named Ape (voiced with biting cynicism by John Cleese).

Yeah it's not great cinema but hey, it's not a misfire either. It's funny most of the time and it shows that Fraser has cornered the affable stranger in a strange land market. Very few actors can play characters who are essentially idiots without losing audience sympathy or credibility, but somehow Fraser manages to do it.

Best gags include include the smart ass narrator, George getting hyped up on coffee, the women at Ursula's party fawning over George's deep spiritual connection with animals, George swinging into various objects (most notably the San Francisco bridge sequence) and George's climatic battle with the poachers.

"My noble kinsmen, thou has served me well. Now stand aside while Shep doth dispatch these villains." - George speaking ape

Even though it's a Disney movie and can be viewed by the whole family, the movie was quite funny. Not Naked Gun funny, but still funny nonetheless. It is definitely worth the price of rental or purchase, so long as you like silly/unrealistic circumstances, talking animals, etc.

For those of you keeping score, this movie was much funnier than Dudley Do-Right, which had some similarities.

Brilliant smashing comedy movie! The characters are original and fun. As if you're seeing a big family in a movie, everyone's interacting perfectly.

The animals are definitely the best. The ape, especially the elephant. Very funny and spectacular!

Just watch it with the whole family. It's really fun. I promise.

Actually, a lot of fun.

Sure, it's lame. It's supposed to be lame. It pokes fun at itself for being lame. ("George can't die -- he's the hero.") Don't expect great special effects, real Nature, a solid plot, or Oscar-caliber acting. This is mind candy.

In a lot of ways, the plot is like "Titanic" -- nice new boy steals girl away from sleezebag fiancée she's just marrying to please her mother. However, since Ursula ditches Lyle before taking up with George, there's none of the moral bankruptcy that made Titanic such a stinker. "George of the Jungle" has the added benefit of not taking itself seriously.

Laugh it up you insensitive ruffians but I actually like this movie. Yeah, it's really stupid but the film does have some semblance of charm. How can you not laugh at the ridiculousness of it all? I say, watch this movie when you're not functioning normally and you'll dig it. I don't know, I'll chalk it up to guilty pleasure. If you think I'm an idiot for digging this one, so be it. I don't mind watching someone swing face first into a tree from time to time, just to stray from the norm. Or to see a lion get clotheslined. Rating: *** out of *****.