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Curious George
Universal Pictures


8.1

based on 28 reviews
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based on 29 votes
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MPAA RATING: G for General Audiences

Starring Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, David Cross, Eugene Levy, Dick Van Dyke, Ed O'Ross, Joan Plowright, Shane Baumel, Hailey Noelle Johnson, and Nadia Lewis

Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment bring Curious George, the original "monkey see, monkey do" chimp, to the screen in an all-new animated adventures based upon the beloved tales that have been enchanting readers for more than 60 years. (Universal Pictures)

GENRE(S):	Adventure \| Animation \| Comedy \| Family/Kids
WRITTEN BY:	Ken Kaufman H.A. Rey (main characters)
DIRECTED BY:	Matthew O'Callaghan
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: September 26, 2006 Theatrical: February 10, 2006
RUNNING TIME:	86 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Rebekah Denn

What a rare pleasure to see a classic book adapted for the screen and walk out feeling neither bored, offended nor outraged.

TV Guide Ken Fox

Songwriter Jack Johnson's collection of laid-back, sunshine pop tunes unobtrusively support the sweet and surprisingly touching story line, rather than the other way around.

The New York Times Lawrence Van Gelder

With top-drawer voice talent including Joan Plowright and Dick Van Dyke, original songs by Jack Johnson, and old-fashioned two-dimensional animation that echoes the simple colors and shapes of the books, Curious George is an unexpected delight.

USA Today Claudia Puig

George is cute, and the simple story has its entertaining moments.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Is this movie for the whole family to attend? No, it is a movie for small children and their parents or adult guardians, who will take them because they love them very much.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

Because almost all animated films now are computer generated, the 2-D animated Curious George has the not-unpleasant patina of an antique.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

The film has a little too much of the "new adventures" feel, but it's still fun.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Some adults may find the film unbearably simplistic, or its pace burdensomely slow. But it would be a shame if movie audiences have become so hyper-adrenalized that they can't appreciate a charmer like Curious George.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

The film has a candy-colored look that stands in well for the books' primitive appeal. And the all-star cast of vocal performers -- Will Ferrell as Yellow Hat, Dick Van Dyke as his boss, David Cross as his rival, Drew Barrymore as his sweetie -- aim squarely and appropriately at a 4-year-old audience.

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

Some amusing new characters are added (love the Russian doorman), and the 2-D animation, simple and serviceable after a tortured production history, is fine. But the jewel in the movie’s crown is its gorgeous pastel palette, alternating with warm earth tones.

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

Margret and H.A. Rey's mischievous monkey makes his long-threatened leap to the big screen in Curious George, with much of the books' charm respectfully intact.

Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano

Turns out to be as simple, friendly, kid-appropriate and nontoxic as any major motion picmerchtainment franchise could ever hope to be.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

What makes Curious George such an enduring figure is that he embodies much of what's wonderful about childhood.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the new cartoon of Curious George, featuring the voice of Will Ferrell as the Man in the Yellow Hat, doesn't veer all that far from the soothing tone of the books.

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

It is a sweet, simple movie with a sweet, simple message: that children see the world differently and have much to teach the people who love them.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

What I most appreciated about the film directed by Matthew O'Callaghan is that it doesn't go for amped-up effects. No bells, whistles, or nudge-nudge, wink-winks to the adults in the audience.

Film Threat Pete Vonder Haar

It's a simple and sweet-natured movie, and one that seems appropriate even for the very young.

Village Voice Peter L'Official

Misanthropic toddlers will be rolling in the aisles.

Dallas Observer Robert Wilonsky

Though it does cheapen itself with some dreadful moments of product placement, it doesn't instantly date itself with cheap pop-culture gags; it will play to our kids' kids tomorrow just as it does today, like something made for children who don't know to expect more from their cartoons than just pleasant, nostalgic mediocrities.

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

George is suitably adorable, wreaking the kind of havoc that gives tykes a guilty thrill. Yet the movie concludes with the specious moral that reading is inferior to experiencing life firsthand.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Curious George skews very young, but parents should be warned that it arrives not only with the worst ad slogan in recent memory ("Show me the monkey"), but a full line of plush toys and related tie-in merchandise.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Curious George has long been a bedtime staple, but this animated film version may be the first time his story puts parents to sleep.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

A mild off-season cinematic bid for the young and the restless.

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

It's pretty elementary.

Variety Brian Lowry

Pitched toward the youngest of kids -- roughly ages zygote to 4 -- with direct-to-video quality animation, plotting and backgrounds.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Genuine, artful simplicity may be an impossible quality in a modern children's movie, so Curious George opts instead for mayhem under a blanket of sweetness. The little ones understand.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Kate Taylor

Unfortunately, the team led by producer Ron Howard and directed by Matthew O'Callaghan has jettisoned much of the charm of the original books along with that politically touchy storyline.

Empire Jo Berry

Solely made for tiny tots, this may test the patience of supervising adults, but delight smaller viewers who will doubtless fall in love with George and want him for their very own.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 29 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Luis G. gave it a9:
A fan of the books and with a younger brother I tend to watch pleanty of kid-films and I have to say this is the first time I felt safe at the movies with my 7 year old brother... no inuendo, no inside jokes just pure simple story like they used to make them ... the film is delightful, caring and what i havnt seen in years .... I will a copy of my own and then one for my lil brothers ... salutes... perhaps the only drawback is the length I would of liked to see more ...

Matt C. gave it a10:
I watched this movie with my little sister and thought is was great, and I'm 19 years old! It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Mark B. gave it a7:
Frank Welker is one of the all-time great names in recent animation history: virtually everyone, adult and child, who loves TV and movie cartoons has enjoyed his work, and yet almost no one knows who he is! He's a prodigiously talented and versatile voice artist who has worked for most of the big animation firms; he took over some of Mel Blanc's most famous vocal characterizations after Blanc's death, but Welker's specialty is animal noises--moos, meows, chirps, barks, roars and other miscellaneous gutteral utterances from creatures who aren't as articulate or fluent in the English language as Bugs Bunny is. True to form, he voices the title character in Curious George, the film version of H. A. Rey's beloved children's books centering on an inquisitive little monkey, and yet you have to wait until more than halfway through the closing credits to see his name appear even once, even though he plays the LEAD ROLE! Not that I'm complaining too much about the actual celebrity voices involved here: Will Ferrell is admirably restrained as George's best friend, pet human and father figure, The Man With The Yellow Hat; Drew Barrymore is thoroughly enchanting as Yellow's would-be romantic interest (or as close as you get to one in a G-rated cartoon); and Dick Van Dyke, David Cross and Joan Plowright contribute nicely modulated supporting bits. Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment seemed to take forever to get this produced, perhaps in part because the Rey estate saw just what an offensive distortion Howard and his company made out of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and (I'd like to think) they decided to make sure that Opie and the suits remained faithful to the innocence of the George books. The wait was worth it: in an era when such lumps of prefabricated pop-culture junk as Madagascar and Hoodwinked are accepted by far too many as quality family entertainment, this is a real breath of fresh air--a kids' movie that really is designed, written and pitched for them, with just a few sly references to A League of Their Own and the like to get a smile out of Mom and Dad. Not that adults should be bored by it at all (in fact, this could be a great date movie!); the stylishly puffy, billowing 2D layouts and backgrounds are a lot of fun to look at and seem completely effortless even though we know how much hard work went into them. The movie is effectively fast-paced without ever being manic, and--appropriately for wee ones and even some of us jaded Big Ones--so goodhearted that it even allows its nominal comic villain a partially happy ending. The only two real complaints I have about Curious George are the completely inappropriate product placements (even if they're for fruits rather than potato chips or candy bars, and little George has to eat SOMETHING)...and the fact that Frank Welker really, really needs to hire himself a good lawyer, if not a more aggressive agent.

Gregory K. gave it a10:
My 3 yo son and I have seen Curious George seven times, plus we bought the soundtrack. We both love it. I couldn't imagine a better movie for a father/son outing, given the obvious metaphor of George and the Man in Yellow. And what a pleasure that the animated animals don't speak or do hip-hop.

Josh H. gave it a9:
I liked it, my three year old liked it...she kept her toddler butt planted in the theater seat the entire time at the risk of not being able to see the end. Cute, kid friendly but with humor intended for an adult mind as well....a very satisfying night out with the family.

David F. gave it an8:
Nice movie for kids. I took my 4 year old daughter to this film as her first visit to a real cineplex and it was an almost perfect little film for her age. Not great for older kids though.

Jen O. gave it a9:
Excellent movie with songs that you can't help but hum along with.

Curious George Universal Pictures

Curious George
Universal Pictures