Monkey Movies

George of the Jungle

Not even the executives at Disney could have predicted the runaway success of this live-action movie inspired by Jay Ward's goofy 1960s cartoon character. Not only did George make a killing at the box office, but Disney's marketing wizards turned it into one of their best-selling videos. It's hard to begrudge the movie's success, even if this is the kind of mindless entertainment that caters to the lowest common denominator. In any case, it's obvious that kids love this movie, in which the idiotic George (Brendan Fraser) repeatedly swings into trees and attracts the attention of a lovely jungle explorer (Leslie Mann) who decides to call off her engagement to a wealthy snob (Thomas Hayden Church) in favor of the vine-swinging hunk with an elephant named Shep (that thinks it's a dog) and an ape named Ape (with a proper Brit voice provided by John Cleese). Filled with slapstick gags and some funny special effects, the movie can be a bit of a trial for adults, but it's a hilarious treat for its intended audience. --Jeff Shannon

A baby named George is raised by gorillas and grows up to be a buff and lovable klutz with plenty of rain forest animal friends.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG
Release Date: 2-MAR-2004
Media Type: DVD

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (Dimension Collector's Series)

The comic characters \""Bluntman and Chronic\"" are based on real life stoners Jay and Silent Bob; when they see no profit from the motion picture adaptation of the comic, they set out to ruin the film.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: R
Release Date: 5-AUG-2003
Media Type: DVD

With sidesplitting dialogue and rampant profanity, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back reunites Kevin Smith's dynamic duo in supreme lowbrow style. It's the fifth comedy in Smith's celebrated New Jersey "trilogy." Here Quick-Stop potheads Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) wreak vengeance on Hollywood, where Miramax is making a "Bluntman & Chronic" feature inspired by J. and S.B., but without their permission. En route from Jersey to La La Land, Jay and his "hetero life mate" encounter sexy jewel thieves (including the delightful Shannon Elizabeth), a precocious orangutan, a dimwit wildlife marshal (Will Ferrell), and a nonstop parade of in-jokes, harmless (yet controversial) gay jokes, and splendid celebrity cameos. While gently biting the Miramax hand that feeds him, and paying affectionate homage to the Star Wars saga, Smith sheds all inhibitions to give Jay and Silent Bob a stellar sendoff that's nasty, sassy, and undeniably hilarious. --Jeff Shannon

Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.

Shortly after Dick Van Dyke played Bert in Mary Poppins, he starred as Lt. Robin Crusoe in this lesser known 1966 comedy, splendidly showcasing his myriad comedic talents in a South seas setting. Families who remember Van Dyke's riotous romp as Navy-pilot-turned-island-native will appreciate this digital release of the original film. The laughs begin from the moment Crusoe is marooned at sea on a military-issue rubber raft and fights off a shark while reading a step-by-step survival guide. By the time he washes ashore on the island, discovers the wonders of bamboo, and stumbles upon a poker-playing astro-Chimp, audiences are given over to the gigglefest. Nancy Kwan, as Wednesday, adds to the merriment as the island's other castaway who plays a humorous game of charades with Crusoe before revealing her status as an exile, having escaped her overprotective father. With the battle cry, "Women have rights too," Crusoe and Wednesday prepare for the inevitable patriarchal showdown, a madcap misadventure. While special features are sorely lacking--such as an interview with Van Dyke--this decent family flick remains a rich Disney relic. (Ages 4 and older) --Lynn Gibson

Escape to an island full of castaway comedy as Disney favorite Dick Van Dyke and Nancy Kwan star in this hilarious South Pacific adventure. Lt. Robin Crusoe (Van Dyke) is an all-thumbs Navy pilot who ditches his plane after engine trouble. He survives a riotous raft ride only to find himself marooned on a lush tropical island with a poker-playing chimp, a gadget-rich abandoned sub, and Wednesday (Kwan) -- a wild but beautiful native girl in exile for disobeying her overprotective father. You won't stop laughing as all the natives get restless in this paradise of clowning and chaos.

George Of The Jungle 2

Though half the cast has changed from the first George of the Jungle, the silliness and self-referential jokes remain--for example, in an unusual display of professional honesty, Christopher Showerman explains to the audience that he's the new George because the producers were too cheap to re-hire Brendan Fraser. While a mean lion (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan, The Green Mile) connives to take over running the jungle world, George's wife Ursula (Julie Benz) is imperiled when her mother and her former fiancé (Thomas Haden Church, returning from the first movie) scheme to bring her back to civilization through kidnapping and hypnosis. Though George of the Jungle 2 aims its combination of goofy humor and computer-generated animals at kids, the camera spends a lot of time ogling Showerman's buffed body. --Bret Fetzer

"Watch out for the tree-slammin', elephant-callin' action -- all the fun of the original and more!" (Mark S. Allen, UPN-TV). The wild adventure and comedy that families and critics went bananas for continue with everyone's favorite characters in GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE 2. When we last saw George, he and his bride Ursula were living in wedded bliss in the peaceful jungle. Unfortunately, all this is about to change. Scheming mother-in-law Beatrice Stanhope is not about to let her daughter and grandson hang around with the klutzy King of the Jungle forever. In an elaborate plot, she teams with Ursula's obsessive ex-fiance Lyle to hypnotize Ursula into leaving George and turn his jungle to mulch! That's when all vines lead to Las Vegas. There, George, Ape, Shep, and Tookie-Tookie must rescue Ursula, and then swing back to save the jungle from Lyle's bulldozing bullies. You'll go ape when these jungle jesters come together for irresistible all-new family entertainment.

Monkey Business

Cary Grant plays an absent-minded scientist working on a youth serum with little success. One afternoon, one of his test monkeys gets loose and works up a formula of its own, which then gets dropped into their water cooler. Shortly, Grant is tooling around in a sports car with his boss's voluptuous secretary (Marilyn Monroe). When his wife (Ginger Rogers) investigates, she too gets a dose and drags Grant off for a second honeymoon of all-night dancing. Meanwhile, Grant's elderly boss (Charles Coburn) is eager to get his hands on the formula--only Grant's formula isn't having the proper effect. Monkey Business is probably most familiar to Marilyn Monroe cultists, but it's Grant and Rogers who have the central roles and make the most of them. Rogers's adolescent emotional meltdown at a hotel and Grant leading a gaggle of boys on a scalping raid are only two of the movie's many richly funny set pieces, all directed by the nimble hand of Howard Hawks (His Girl Friday, Bringing Up Baby, Ball of Fire, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes). One of the last of the classic screwball comedies. --Bret Fetzer

Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers star in this classic comedy about a chemist who discovers the secret of eternal youth. For years, Dr. Barnaby Fulton (Grant) has been working on a youth-restoring serum with little success - until the day a chimpanzee gets loose in the lab and accidentally concocts the exact formula Fulton has been searching for. The hilarity begins when, unbeknownst to anyone, the chimpanzee pours it into the office water cooler. For with each successive drink, everyone gets younger and younger. When Fulton's stunning secretary (Marilyn Monroe) and lovely wife get a taste of the potion, the chemical reaction is explosive and hilarious fun!

The Barefoot Executive

A young Kurt Russell stars in this good-natured comedy. Steve Stone is an ambitious mailroom clerk at a third-rate television network when he stumbles onto the fact that his girlfriend's pet chimpanzee, Raffles, can pick ratings winners. Suddenly he's well on his way up the corporate ladder and getting his network to No. 1. Keeping Raffles and his abilities a secret provide the perfect setting for wacky, wicked comedy. The truly funny cast of Joe Flynn, Harry Morgan, Wally Cox, John Ritter, and others make up the executives and their cohorts. Not wanting to be made fools of, the executives try to save their dignity as well as their jobs by relocating Raffles. There's lots of physical comedy and downright silliness. Talk about monkey business! Released in 1971, this film can appear dated at times, but the story still holds up today. A likable, fun movie that harks back to a time of innocent mischief. Refreshingly void of techno gadgets and helmet laws, this film is just good, clean, wholesome fun for the whole family. --Peggy Maltby-Etra

In the great Disney tradition of wild family fun, a young Kurt Russell stars as Steven Post -- an ambitious mailroom clerk at a second-rate TV network. With his eye on the boardroom, and getting nowhere with the studio's top dog, he makes a career-changing discovery. His girlfriend's lovable pet chimp can pick a hit show every time! His secret for success turns into madcap monkey business when he makes vice president and jealous rivals want in on the act. Ride along with narrow escapes and a classic cast featuring Joe Flynn and Harry Morgan in a comedic climb up the corporate ladder that will leave you howling for more!

Ed

You ll go bananas for baseball's funniest rookie when Friends star Matt LeBlanc teams up with the hottest third basemen this side of Cooperstown: Ed a chimp who's the reigning champ of friendship and fly balls.Pitcher Jack "Deuce" Cooper (LeBlanc) is in a major bind when he makes it to the minor leagues and gets stage fright on the mound. Back on the farm he's dynamite; in front of a crowd he chokes. But good luck swings to the rescue when a hairy hero steps up to the plate!Jack's new teammate - and roommate - is Ed a chimpanzee who turns out to be a born baseball player a bona fide matchmaker and the best buddy Jack ever had. With Ed's help the Santa Rosa Rockets just might clinch the pennant and Jack will learn that the first rule of the game is to have fun.Jayne Brook Jack Warden and Bill Cobbs co-star in this hilarious heartwarming family comedy that hits a home run of laughs with every play.System Requirements:Starring Matt LeBlanc Jack Warden Directed by Bill Couturie Running time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes Copyright Universal Studios 2003Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG UPC: 025192310423 Manufacturer No: 23104

Dunston Checks In

High society gets a dose of monkey business in this family-friendly bit of simian slapstick. Less foul and more fun than Clyde from the Clint Eastwood comedies, Dunston is the practical-joking orangutan partner of foppish jewel thief Rupert Everett. Making his escape in a five-star New York hotel, Dunston lands in the protective care of 10-year-old Eric Lloyd, the high-spirited son of harried hotel manager Jason Alexander, and together they turn the snooty social event of the year into a zoo. Faye Dunaway is Alexander's overbearing boss just aching for a comic comeuppance, and Paul "Pee-wee Herman" Reubens dons a mauve tuxedo as Buck La Farge, animal-control specialist. Would you believe the monkey upstages them all? Though hardly the smartest comedy around, this is a cute, cuddly little barrel full of monkeyshines just made for the younger crowd. Rated PG for one (yelled) word. --Sean Axmaker

A 5-star hotel turns into a 3-ring circus when an orangutan named Duston checks in. Jason Alexander ("Seinfeld"), Faye Dunaway ("Network") and Eric Lloyd ("The Santa Clause") star in this hilarious romp about an orangutan who gets loose in the elegant Majestic Hotel on the eve of the social event of the season. Dodging his jewel-thieving owner and the frantic hotel manager, Dunston is befriended by the manager's ten-year old son, Kyle, who is determined to help his new friend escape. Filled with laughter and comic high-jinks, DUNSTON CHECKS IN is "a steady stream of giggles for those who get a kick out of monkey business." (Henry Sheehan, Orange County Register).

MXP - Most Extreme Primate

An unlikely friendship is forged when an overachieving chimpanzee meets a lonely boy with a love for snowboarding in MXP: Most Extreme Primate. Jack the chimpanzee (MVP and MVP II) has given up hockey and skateboarding in favor of life with his family at the El Simian Nature Reserve, but a Mexican vacation gone awry lands Jack in Blackbrush, Colorado--right in the path of a lonely boy named Pete who's just moved into town. The two quickly become close friends, and eventually Pete teaches Jack to snowboard and they become partners in a snowboarding race. Factor in two greedy men looking to make their fortunes by kidnapping Jack and Jack's worried (human) "Mom" trying to track down Jack from Mexico in spite of a fierce hurricane, and a very familiar plot runs its predictable course. Unlike the previous MVP movies, this third production lacks intensity and suspense and ultimately leaves the viewer feeling uninvolved and uninterested. A brief demonstration by snowboarder Bjorn Leines serves as a high point for snowboarding fans. (Ages 5 to 10) --Tami Horiuchi

After an exciting year playing hockey with the Seattle Simians and a brief stint learning how to skateboard, Jack the amazing chimp is about to go where no chimp has gone before -- snowboarding down snowy mountain peaks, carving and shredding all the way!

Funky Monkey

A CIA agent (Modine) and Clemens, a super intelligent chimp trained in martial arts, break out of a secret testing lab which turns primates into soldiers. With evil henchmen on their trail they go into hiding in the house of a local boy and his mother. Clemens is captured and the new friends team up to attempt a daring rescue. With hilarious animal antics and exciting action, Funky Monkey is fun the whole family can enjoy.