Don't Believe the Hype

Am I Missing Something?

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The plot for this family feature is pretty negligible (an eminently insufferable should-be lovable'n'huggable little girl adopts a cuddly capuchin who's been trained to steal things as a pet and hides the little bugger from her disapproving parents), but fortunately this film does have one tremendous ace up its otherwise empty sleeve: the chimp's evil, sinister, glowering gypsy organ-grinder owner is played by none other than a hilariously miscast Harvey Keitel! Sporting a mouth full of gleaming gold teeth, long, greasy, unwashed hair, an awful wardrobe of blindingly gaudy gypsy rags, gold chains hanging around his chest, a feeble attempt at a dense European accent that's betrayed by Harve's unmistakable Brooklyn rumble, and the same crazed'n'creepy aura that he brought to his sleazy street corner pimp role in "Taxi Driver," the ever-manic Keitel acts with a savage intensity and gritty authenticity which seems alarmingly out of place in an alleged kiddie pic. One simply hasn't lived until witnessing the hair-raising moment in which Harvey blames the monkey for the recent loss of his latest girlfriend: "She even took my freakin' food!," Keitel roars at the poor, cowering creature. "She hated you and your stinkin' mess!" Alas, at no point in the film does Harvey curse out the monkey at the top of his lungs while furiously masturbating. Moreover, this flick's cast and crew should send the mind of any devout trash cinema aficionado reeling: Ridley Scott (!) was the executive producer, cinematographer Luciano Tovoli also shot Dario Argento's landmark giallo "Tenebre," "Bad Georgia Road" director John Broderick co-produced, and the cast includes such "what the hell are they doing here?" notables as Mimi Rogers, Christopher McDonald, and dependably gruff Abel Ferrara movie mainstay Victor Argo in one of his customary mob capo parts. And one last remark before I conclude this particular comment: I bet dollars-to-donuts that there's a whole generation of hopelessly messed-up six year old tykes who are currently experiencing marrow-freezing nightmares because of Harvey Keitel's frightening, fire-breathing, full-throttle histrionics in this film.

A young and charming Thora Birch stars as the unexpected owner of a monkey who picks pockets for a Gypsy who has lost him. Birch's parents won't let her have a dog because of Dad's allergies. The monkey, which Birch keeps hidden in her bedroom, makes Dad sneeze a lot and then wonder why, which is typical of what passes for humor in this predictable kiddie flick. Mom and Dad are played by Mimi Rogers and Chris McDonald as if they were doing a Dennis the Menace movie. Meanwhile, the Gypsy, played by Harvey Keitel, is hot on the trail of his missing monkey. I'm not sure why Keitel did this film, other than to be able to say he made a movie little children could watch. It is a role more suited to, say, Joe Piscopo. Anyhow, the monkey is annoying as hell. Not recommended for anyone over 12.

This little girl in here (played by Thora Birch) is a little annoying because of her constant lying. However, in the end - as in most stories that dealing with people who lie all the time - she sees that the troubles she's encountered are due to those prevarications.The monkey in here is fun to watch. It was also nice to see Mimi Rogers in a wholesome and - gasp - even more shocking: Harvey Keitel not utter a bad word. Rogers and Christopher MacDonald play too-liberal parents, discipline- wise, but otherwise this is a pretty enjoyable lightweight film that moves along at a good clip.It's not memorable, but it's family-safe and a decent movie for the adults, too.

I don't remember why or how I ever bothered to sit through this travesty of a film the makers of it would even call it a kid's or even a family movie for that matter! I saw this when it was out in the theaters, I don't remember who I saw it with or if the ticket sales were half-price. I almost walked out, but unfortunately, I managed to sit right through it.If you are offended by middle-child stereotypes, this movie is full of them! Poor little Eva in this movie was feeling neglected because of the attention her bratty baby brother was getting. She was also an outcast, unorganized in school, cared more about watching TV than her schoolwork, had no repsect for her family, only had one friend, and yet she wanted a pet and boy golly does she get one! It's a monkey who was trained to be a thief! Ooh, how intriguing! (I was being sarcastic there, excuse me!)I think this movie also teaches kids that being irresponsible, and going around doing whatever you wanted without your parents consent just like Eva did in this flick is okay. When she was getting kidnapped by Harvey Keital, I wanted to shout, "Take her away!"Eva was like a female version of Kevin McCallaster from Home Alone. Also, another thing about her was that she was a precocious kid who was too smart for her own good, especially the way she was running around L.A. by herself with her theiving monkey friend. I think that precocious kid plot has been _way_ overused in movies, cartoons, sit-coms, and in the history of all entertainment. The more of that, the more kids are going to think it's okay to be a smart-alleck!I think it's a crime to recommend this pathetic excuse for a 'Family/Kids' movie. I feel sorry for Thora Birch for even being in this movie, for and playing Eva! So, please, stay away from this! Friends don't let friends watch Monkey Trouble!