Wonderfully offbeat film!

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

This is a film that marked the generation that had 10 to 16 when it opened in theaters. Unquestionably fun from beginning to end, is one of the best family films that Disney did at the end of the century, out of the animation field. This is obviously a film partially spent in a jungle with a man, George, who is literally clumsy version of Tarzan. Made to play and laugh a lot, the film is full of funny moments and even the bad guy, Lyle Van de Groot (played by Thomas Haden Church) is the most humorous I've seen, even in films of this kind.The involvement of actors is very good, but the spotlight go to Brendan Fraser, who played the main character in an absolutely brilliantly. Leslie Mann gave life to the little girl, Ursula, whom George predictably falls. She also had an inspired interpretation, and even his shrill voice gave a hand in the creation of the character, which is a rich and spoiled girl. John Cleese, one of the greats of the current mood, excellent as was voiced Ape, a monkey gifted with a very human intelligence. Thomas Haden Church also did not disappoint the audience, eager to laugh.

Being a 90's and early 2000's child, I wouldn't have heard of the original cartoon series if it weren't for my parents having a couple VHS's of them. I watched them and I enjoyed them, so when the movie was coming out, I was excited. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see it in the theater,but my parents did buy the VHS of it. When we did watch it, we loved it, especially me, and maybe even more so now. Why?First, the most important step of a good comedy is to make your audience laugh, and it did just that. How it managed to keep me laughing both as a kid and now was that it switched between different types of humor rather than sticking to just one. The best done here is the physical gags including the swing gags and the slapstick style fight scenes. Of course, there are very effective verbal humor that adults will enjoy, and that's not to say that there is an abundance of mildly suggestive comments, only like one or two, but even they make the adults laugh while just flying right over the children's heads. And there is also some mild toilet humor that will definitely make the children giggle.Second, the film has plenty of heart. The movie does a great job of depicting a nice and believable love between George and Ursula. At the same time, it shows great friendship between George and his friends Ape, Tooki his toucan messenger, and Shep his elephant dog.Third, the characters and the performances from the actors playing them are spot on. First of all, we have the naive but lovable George played in a hilarious performance by Brendan Fraser, the beautiful and sweet Ursula played by Leslie Mann, the shady egotistical and idiotic villain of the movie Lyle played by Thomas Haden Church, Ursula's snooty and not-so approving mother played perfectly by Holland Taylor, and last but not least: George's hilarious intelligent and sometimes sarcastic friend An Ape Named Ape voiced by John Cleese.Fourth, the backgrounds and scenery are some of the best you'll ever see from the jungle to the waterfalls and rivers to the savannas.With all the things about the movie that are great, are there any negatives about the movie? Yes, but they are extremely minor. First is the story, which is a bit unoriginal therefore having some predictability, but because of all the things positive about the movie, chances are you won't mind it. Second is that there are a few moments from the film that feel a bit dark, but they are very brief and won't do anything that will ruin or contradict the all around goofy and lighthearted tone of the movie.So, all in all, this is a great family comedy. Parents, I highly recommend you share this movie with your children. I really think they'll love it.9/10

After seeing the previews I thought I'd be disappointed; it just seemed wrong. Quality work that draws you in and doesn't let you go. There are some films that you can watch over and over again and get the same enjoyment. Rarer are the films that you enjoy more each time you see them. This is not one of these. Certainly the characterizations are shallow and quickly changeable, often for little or no reason. It's worth seeing for some inventive uses of writing and the actors. This one is much better than other reviewers would have you believe. What I liked best is that the movie never take itself seriously. This film is worthy of all the hopes you have.

This promised to be an entertaining family flick. The ingredients seem just right, talking animals, lady falls in love with a jungle man, fiancé gets jealous etc. Brendan Fraser pulls of the role reasonably well. John Cleese is well cast as the voice of an ape. However the rest is pulled off terribly. Barring the special effects (which are actually very good), there is little more in this film that might move it up the 'must watch holiday family flick' list. A lot more could and should have been made of this and what little slapstick there is could have been even funnier. the action however is reasonably well choreographed. The problem is that most of it is quite 'reasonable' and not a single element is outstanding.