Curious George

Anymore animated movies are trying to appeal to adult audiences with crude humor, and double meanings. If I wanted to see an adult movie, I would get a babysitter. This is a movie FOR CHILDREN. I took my 2 and 3 year old girls to see it. It is a visually stunning rendering of the classic children's books. George is wholesome, endearing, and charming. The whimsical animation style breathes life to the character we remember fondly from our youth. He exudes youthful exuberance and energy and mischief.

It is a true G rated movie. I would say it reminds me of Classic Disney but even Cinderella had its wicked stepmother and Sleeping Beauty definitely had its scary moments. There is nothing here to frighten even the smallest children. Only delight them!

I thought I would be bored out of my SKULL seeing this, but I really enjoyed a lot of this movie. I am glad I watched this with some friends and their siblings, and by the end of it we were all pretty cheerful, Curious George is such a gentle, light feel-good movie!

Ted (voiced by Will Ferrell) is a guide at a museum. He needs more fun in his life, and it comes in the form of a cute little monkey, who Ted names George, after the George Washington statue. George stowed away on Ted's boat, after Ted was sent to find some ancient shrine in Africa - and lo behold! George is now part of Ted's life. However, George is a bit difficult, and Ted's life gets more and more stressful in the process...

I thought the music was the highlight of the entire movie. Jack Johnson's soulful, calm, meaningful tracks just did it for me. Each song fit in perfectly with the movie too. The animation is fantastic. Though strictly childish, it is appealing to adults too! George is ADORABLE! Just look at him! I also liked the story, it is universal, and everyone enjoys a film, rather than kids freaking out and adults sitting there bored. Curious George does not do that. Everyone enjoys.

From the very first moment that Curious George scampers onto the screen to begin his funny adventures, my heart was swept away with laughter. All my cares disappeared while my wife and I giggled with all the other kids, very young and very old, watching George do his best to do the right thing – only to get in more and more trouble from the adult animals all around. Soon George (a 'monkey' – actually a chimpanzee) finds better times with the animal children, whom he gathers around a chameleon that they light up like a rainbow disco strobe.

Sounds silly? It sure is, and more fun than an elephant with a smiley face painted by George on its butt! (Everyone screamed with laughter at that one.) Within less time than it takes George to settle down for the night, all alone, we're not watching a movie – we're living the adventure with him. For those who have read the Curious George books, you know (or soon remember) how the story goes. For those adults or kids who haven't read the books yet, let the story sweep you away.

For those interested in such curious things: this movie is animated, hand-drawn in vibrant primary colors with fun background music by Jack Johnson. It's faithful to the spirit and drawings of Margret and H.A. Rey who created the Curious George books. If you have any youth in your heart, you will be delightfully swept away by the good ship H.A. Rey into the antic-filled, lovely and gentle world of Curious George and his new family.

I had a gentle, fun good time seeing this movie with my wife (a grandma). So did the preview theater, full not only with kids of all ages with their parents & grandparents, but a couple in their 20's on a date! This is a really gentle, really good movie.

I took my two-year-old son to see this movie, his first in a theater, and we both had a great time. Curious George is a light-hearted, sweet movie that portrays our little monkey's mayhem without resorting to manic pacing, blaring music or wise-cracking.

In fact, the makers deliberately put very little into the movie that is aimed over the children's head and at the parents. So, unlike a Shrek or a Toy Story movie, there was never an instance of a joke that mommy and daddy laugh at and the kids miss. All the jokes are shared.

So, see this movie with a small one. It probably isn't 'slick' enough for anyone over 8. People without small children can take a pass. The most hard core Curious George fans can rent the DVD.

Universal Studios and Imagine Entertainment have, in the past, co-conspired to produce two truly offensive cinematic travesties of iconic children's books: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "The Cat and the Hat". With "Curious George" I am delighted and relieved to say that in this instance tragedies do not come in threes. Simple, charming, attractively animated (by hand, with some 3D effects which blend in well), appropriate for kids, with no Seinfeldian self- consciousness or Adam Sandler-style gross-out humor, this film is near perfect.

I say near perfect because of Will Ferrell's vocal performance as The Man in the Yellow Hat (now named Ted) is a misfire. If he talked about 35% as much as he does in the film he would be just right. He's still better than in the god-awful "Bewitched" pseudo-remake. But that's a small price to pay for one of the few genuinely appropriate-for-children children's movies since the Jim Henson-era Muppet movies.

"George" succeeds where every post-Lilo and Stitch, non-Pixar Disney film has failed. Yet the finger-licking' bad, sub-Dreamworks "Chicken Little" made more money.