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Film review

A chimp off the old block

Curious George is a worthy sibling to the children's books it's drawn from, with a traditional look and an old-fashioned gentleness.

By STEVE PERSALL
Published February 9, 2006

	[Universal Pictures]
	Ted, the Man with the Yellow Hat (voice of Will Ferrell), the mischievous Curious George and Maggie (voice of Drew Barrymore) visit the zoo.

The best thing about Curious George is its refusal to conform to modern cartoon comedy for children. This is old school - or more accurately preschool - stuff, with mostly hand-drawn 2D animation rather than fluidly detailed computer drawings, plus a refreshing lack of crudeness.

Like the bedtime books of H.A. and Margret Rey, the movie version is completely harmless and may cause drowsiness among grown-ups.

But it's still an impressively unassuming update of the adventures of a mischievous chimpanzee and a man wearing a yellow hat. Now the man has a name (Ted) and a reason for his banana-colored wardrobe. He also has a cell phone and a job giving museum lectures. George drinks latte, but that's as far as director Matthew O'Callaghan and screenwriter Ken Kaufman push the creation into the 21st century.

However, George's basic appeal to children remains the same. He's their alter ego, well-meaning even when things are disrupted, and easily forgiven because he's so darn cute. Of course, there's a chance some children may imitate the chimp's infatuation with finger-painting walls, climbing on furniture and wearing a sandwich as a hat. Tame stuff compared to role models they usually see on screen.

George lives happily in the jungle when the movie begins, snacking on bananas and drawing a smiley face on an elephant's rear end. Ted's life halfway around the world in an unnamed city isn't as carefree, and Will Ferrell's voice provides the affable worry he needs. Children are bored by Ted's lectures, their teacher Maggie (Drew Barrymore) is a crush he's too shy to follow, and the museum's business is failing.

The museum owner (Dick Van Dyke) is ready to take the advice of his son (David Cross) and raze the place for a parking lot. The only salvation would be an exhibit that would draw crowds. Ted suggests a fabled lost idol from, coincidentally, where George lives. An expedition disappoints when the idol turns out to be the size of a key chain. But Ted and George hit it off, prompting the chimp to sneak onto the freighter taking Ted back to civilization.

The setup enables Kaufman to revive several of George's most familiar adventures; floating over the city with a handful of helium balloons, painting an apartment and blasting off in a spaceship. When things get scary, Jack Johnson's feathery songs pop up to reassure us everything will be okay. A happy ending is never in doubt.

Yet that kind of tameness may prevent Curious George from completely satisfying children raised on darker, cruder material with all the animation bells and whistles this one skips. It's sad to think we've reached the point where a simple, wholesome character such as George can be disappointing, but that's where we are.

- Steve Persall can be reached at 727 893-8365 or persall@sptimes.com

Grade: B-

Director: Matthew O'Callaghan

Cast: Voices of Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, Eugene Levy, David Cross, Dick Van Dyke, Frank Welker

Screenplay: Ken Kaufman, based on books by Margret and H.A. Rey

Rating: G

Running time: 86 min.

[Last modified February 8, 2006, 09:04:06]