MXP: Most Xtreme Primate

Just got done watching this much talked about, but forgotten cinema classic. A chimp named Jack snowboards. The chimp can also play X-Box, and actually pulls off some pretty sweet moves in the real and virtual world. A "Mob Boss" bets on the chimp to win a snowboarding race, $1,000 to be exact. Some snowboarding dude says "Tight dog" at the end. The human Mom to the chimps travels around the country with multiple chimps (who all have passports, which by the way are not needed for trips inside the U.S.). The bad guys steal the chimp for like 5 minutes, then he is snowboarding again. The kids keep telling Jack they are gonna take him home but they don't do anything for days but play video games, play guitar, and snowboard with Jack. It seems like some of the people have amnesia, and maybe some hidden subtext I am missing. Jack is there as a reminder Chimps will do almost anything for bananas.

So the trilogy ends here. Whatta ride! It has been a pleasure. 😓

'MXP: Most Xtreme Primate', in seriousness, is the worst of the three, hardly a surprise I know. Yet again I didn't dislike the time I spent watching this, though there is simply nothing to really praise about it. The story is more mundane than prior installments.

Things aren't helped by the fact that the snowboarding gimmick wears thin quick due to it's near verbatim reproduction of the skateboarding subplot from 'MVP 2: Most Vertical Primate'. The other subplot with the thiefs is quite bad too, these two characters barely feature and yet still manage to whip out two racially insensitive, at best, 'gags'.

The cast are fine, nothing really worth noting. I did notice a young Alexander Ludwig appear for a few seconds though, interesting that these Robert Vince pictures do tend to have a familar face pop up in random spots; Ludwig here, Zendaya (!) in 'Super Buddies'...

This one of the three-part does, at least, have the 'best' end credits, gag reel and canonical amateur garage band included! So long, Jack!

It's no wonder they added the "X" in the title of this sequel to MVP and MVP 2. It has the best monkey shower scene I've ever seen. This monkey nudity only served to make the primate more "human" so I can understand it's inclusion in the film. With out it, it would have been merely a typical animal sports movie in the tradition of Air Bud.

I haven't seen monkeys and humans bond this well, since "Gorillas in the Mist". Not only does the monkey take a shower, but he also brushes his teeth, shave with a razor, plays the drums, plays video games, drinks a frozen drink and gets brain freeze, and oh yeah he snowboards too. What will Jack do next? I for one can't wait. Opposable thumbs way up!!!

At the outset, I must warn everyone that I am an avid snowboarder and I have worked with many primates. One thing I can say for sure is that this plot is simply unbelievable.

I have seen the previous two installments of MVP, but this one by far is off the deep end. First, a chimp playing hockey. Yeah, I can see that. Then, a chimp skateboarding. A little less believable, but possible. But a chimp snowboarding? I think we're bordering on ridiculous now.

I've worked with chimps, and certainly, they're intelligent enough to communicate in sign language, and convey their feelings. But snowboarding? What's next in MVP IV, a chimp that can cure cancer? I mean, come on. Let's not forget, that this animal will OFTEN throw its feces at anyone within 50 feet. Sure, I understand that they're trainable, and come off well on the big screen. But snowboarding? Why not have a lawyer show with MVP giving birth to a donkey? At least science makes that a possibility. This just isn't worth it, folks. Unless you'd like to build a stable in your backyard for your unicorns or ride a giraffe to work backwards, then don't watch this movie. It's pure fantasy. I mean, a chimp that snowboards? C'mon.

In 2004, Martin Scorsese directed his 20th film "The Aviator", starring Leonardo DeCaprio. This same year, Robert Vince directed his 5th film, "Most Xtreme Primate". These two films were same year, and both came from legendary directors. There was only one difference, one got a lot more recognition, and the other was objectively better. Now it should be obvious to you, the person reading this review, that the superior movie between the two is without a doubt "Most Xtreme Primate". For Scorsese fans, this may come as a shock, and you may disagree with me on this. But please allow be to explain exactly why that this movie is better than Scorsese's flick. FIrstly, casting. The simian playing Jack in this film is superb at acting, and truly makes the audience think he is a chimpanzee snowboarder. On the other hand, Leo DeCaprio plays Leo DeCaprio, and all the audience can see is Leo DeCaprio in a funny pilot costume, instead of Howard Hughes, whom he is supposed to portray. Secondly, the plot. The film "The Aviator" follows Scorsese's predictable plot of a tragic hero, and details the downfall of Howard Hughes, and the events that led to his eventual breakdown. Anybody who has seen any Scorsese film would be able to predict this from the first 5 minutes, and it gives the viewer an obvious result. On the contrary, "MXP" manages to defy the trope that many film makers are forced into, by choosing to defy the current norms of cinema and do what many films are afraid to; give the protagonist a happy ending. Jack is neither a good or bad chimp, and in a Scorsese film, he likely would end by tearing someone's face off or something along those lines. But Robert Vince is not scared to provide the simian with a pleasent ending, and is with this, makes the film much more unpredictable and gives the viewer a much greater feeling of suspense. And finally, this film has one thing that "The Aviator" could never have. This film contains a chimpanzee on a snowboard. Nothing Scorsese could ever make can beat this film, and that is an objective truth.