Curious George

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

The Cartoon

Curious George, 2006

The Plot

Ted, the museum guide, goes to Africa to bring back a legendary idol meant to save the museum from distinction. On his arrival in Africa, Ted befriends a curious little monkey (later to be named George) who is so curious about Ted’s actions that he secretly follows him to America.

Starring

Will Ferrell as Ted (The Man In The Yellow Hat), Drew Barrymore as Maggie Dunlap, Frank Welker as George, Eugene Levy as Clevis, and more.

Review

While Ted is a great museum guide and curator, he doesn’t seem to have much of a life outside of work. Heck, he cannot even figure out that the school teacher, Ms. Dunlap, only comes to the museum every Thursday to be near him—hoping he’d one day ask her out.

Then one day, in desperation to save his job, he agrees to travel to Africa and bring back an artifact that could not only save his job, but keep the museum open forever. Only the artifact he finds isn’t what he and the museum owner had hoped. Disappointed, he heads for home.

Meanwhile, George’s natural curiosity has gotten the best of him; having met Ted while scouting for the artifact, George has somehow managed to inherit Ted’s bright yellow hat and is so intrigued by its owner that he follows Ted back to his ship and hops a ride to America.

Back in America, Ted and George learn to become friends but not without a lot of mishaps, heartache, and strife; such as flying over New York with a handful of balloons, painting one lady’s apartment with the paint leftover by the painters, getting Ted evicted from his apartment, sleeping on a park bench in the rain, calling animal control to take George away, and so on.

In the end, George helps save the museum from distinction and gives both the owner and Ted the inspiration to turn the museum into an active learning center for children of all ages.

It’s true! Curious George, the film, is geared towards young children whose innocence hasn’t been ripped apart by the world of modernized television; but it’s so much more than that. Curious George is the first film in a long time, aside from How To Eat Fried Worms, that the entire family can watch.

I’ve read reviews from both ends of the spectrum and I am truly surprised at how diverse the reviews are. All I can say is that you’ll either love it or you’ll hate. Personally, I loved it!

There’s no vulgar language, no attempts at turning adult jokes into something tame enough kids can hear, no violence, no blood, and no sex scenes. There are, however, unrealistic mishaps that take place—mishaps that do more for spurring the imagination of young minds then educating them. All in all, it’s a wholesome film that offers laughter, adventure, and gasps.

Your Task

There are moments in Curious George that may have your child baffled, bewildered, and even upset. Take those moments to pause the DVD and discuss what actually happened, what your child might have done differently and why, and then share your thoughts on the subject—helping your child to learn a lesson from his/her observation.

For instance, at one point in the film, Ted calls animal control to take George away. Without one ounce of remorse Ted watches as George begs to stay. Did your child gasp? Did your child cry? Did your child get angry with Ted? Whatever your child’s reaction, take the time to discuss this issue. Don’t be afraid to say, “What Ted did was wrong. He was being selfish and he could’ve handled things differently. If it were mommy (or daddy) I would have…because…”

Later in the film, Ted realized the errors of his way and tries to rescue George. This would be a great opportunity to talk to your child about the power of forgiveness and the ability to say “Hey, I was wrong and I am sorry. What can I do to fix that?”

Order Curious George Today!