1. Lokar

   10

   Very enjoyable movie about a family of chimpanzees, especially their youngest scion, Oscar. The group searches for food, teaches the little guy the rules of the game, and fights off their enemies. In some respects, it's a lot like "Bambi," only this is real footage and not a fictional story. A few moments may be scary to very young children. Most viewers will find it simple but heartwarming. A fun movie if you want to see something lighter and get away from explosions and aliens for a while.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
2. gex6

   9

   Very very adorable. I really like it. Good job Disney Nature!!
   I have loved the Disney nature films, oceans being my favorite.The cinematography was really good.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
3. FDT44

   5

   Notwithstanding the brilliant cinematography--gracefully capturing the Ivory Coast's Tai Forest--as well as the real-time footage of the simians, themselves, "Chimpanzee" is a ultra-light-for-kids eco-doc that, although is believed to be real, and is real, doesn't quite feel real; it's dramatic scenery is accompanied with an even lower suspension of belief voice narration--by Tim Allen--which although corny, is nothing compared to the Disney script that attempts to loosely link the plot of "The Lion King" to a lecture on primatology. In other words, it feels overly contrived, thus managing to demean the marvelous footage in sight; some Bose headphones to block the sound, just might do the trick. But, if the jarringly tenuous and at times, mawkish narration or even the desperate recycling of Disney-movie-orphan-themes won't bother one from heading to the theater with the kids, the pathetic anthropomorphisms--with names of the likes of "Oscar," and even "Scar"--might be enough to discourage viewers. Now, in premise, the humanized chimps seem like a reasonable means to entertain and tell a story to, the kids. But, where it goes wrong is when Disney, again, creates the dichotomy of "good" chimps versus "bad" chimps. To illustrate the distinction even further, everytime "Scar" is shown intervening, the music intensifies, leaving the viewer with a dark, ominous throbbing. This is simply misleading for the youngers, as they are fed the same sermon of ethnocentricism--us versus them--suspending their cognizance that "Scar," too, has his "own" "Oscar" at home, yet it is such an omission of reality in which children are not informed. "Chimpanzee," regardless of its tainted superficiality and resorts to threadbare Disney-themes, is still a wonderful visual spectacle that, in its visualization, contains a magical aura that emphasizes just how close our animal cousins are, and how short the cross-species bridge really is; from the familial bonds of our distant relatives, we are reminded of what life really should entail. Ultimately, though, the same underlying authenticity that was filmed during its production--sans Tim Allen, music, staging, names, etc.--is mainly lost through the over-exertion of string-pulling that makes everyone of "Oscar"'s astonishing triumphs all the less astonishing; it's an eye-opening primer, only beneficial for the eyes, that is too much Saturday-morning-cartoonish and not nearly enough "Nat-Geo." To the unknowing chagrin of its viewers, the latter is far more constructive and worthwhile.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 3 users said Yes.
4. Seriosity

   4

   The insipid narration very annoyingly and repeatedly tries to give the Chimpanzees human traits. Also, the footage, while breathtaking, seems to be manipulated to create melodrama and tell a story that may not have been filmed.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.

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