 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Curious George (2006)
- Review Date: September 24, 2006
- G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2006
Common Sense Media says
A simple, sweet, sometimes silly monkey tale.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there isn't a lot to be concerned about here. There are some product placements, some flirting, moral ambiguity, and an emotionally intense scene in which George is removed -- at the Man in the Yellow Hat's request -- by animal control. One man schemes to replace a museum with a profitable parking lot. Ted himself tries to fool the museum patrons with a fraud, something he is not punished for. An apartment building manager roughly chases the monkey from room to room, then evicts Ted, who has to sleep on a park bench that night.
What's the story?
In CURIOUS GEORGE, The Man in the Yellow Hat (named Ted and voiced by Will Ferrell) is in Africa searching for a legendary shrine. If he can bring it back to his American city, his employer Mr. Bloomsberry (Dick Van Dyke) won't have to close his cash-strapped museum. In the jungle, Ted befriends mischievous monkey George but only finds a small idol and returns to America by ship, unaware that George has stowed away on the vessel. Back in America, Ted tries to hide the truth from Bloomsberry. Though he's briefly distracted by adorable schoolteacher Maggie (Drew Barrymore), Ted spends most of his time chasing after George, who gets into all kinds of trouble by splattering paint throughout Miss Plushbottom's (Joan Plowright) apartment, floating away on zoo balloons, and more. Meanwhile, Junior Bloomsberry (David Cross) plots to tear down the museum and put up a parking lot.
Is it any good?
Congenial and colorful, Curious George takes its cues from children's animated TV, delivering simple concepts, bright reds and yellows, and a cute-as-can-be monkey. Younger kids will like George, and may recognize the plots of several of the classic books woven into the story.
Adults will probably find the film slow going, and kids used to action-packed movies may also get bored. The bottom line: Great monkey -- and some silly monkey business -- but pretty short on plot, and what's there is predictable.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about what they liked about the movie and if anything scared them. They can ask what makes George so curious. Is he a troublemaker or does he just act like a kid? Older kids can talk about how Ted's relationship with George changes -- what does Ted realize George brings to his life? Families could also compare this movie to the books upon which it's based, and about which one they prefer and why.
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AGE
wait til 6 or 7, in my opinion
my 5 yr old was scared during much of this movie - why do all the movies have to be built on danger and fear??!! opening scene of kids all bored in museum plants a seed in their mind that they shouldn't enjoy museums....
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AGE
Safe for kids of all ages
My boys ages 6 and 3 really liked this, and my husband and were quite pleased as well. So many kids' movies say they are for kids but then have adult humor and content. This stays true to the innocent and sweet source material in the Curious George books. Older kids might be bored, but for little ones, this is a good, safe choice.
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AGE
Truly a great film for younger children
We took our 3 daughters, ages 7, 5 and 2 to see Curious George and they all loved it. I was very relieved to finally see a movie that is truly appropriate for young children. Our daughters have cried and been terrified in some other movies, either because of the villians, or the disturbing story line (eg. Nemo seperated from his father was just too heart-wrenching for them).
I was happy to see George was not taken from the African jungle, but followed the man with the yellow hat.
The kids enjoyed some good laughs, the great music and the adorable portrayal of the monkey!
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AGE
Fun movie, beware "father" messages
Curious George is a bright and colorful movie that my 4 year old enjoyed! There are some fun slap stick moments. I laughed quite a bit.
My only concern is that my just turned 4 year old refers to Ted (the man with the yellow hat) as George's Daddy. Apparently, in his little mind, Ted is the father figure. That's fine until Ted has two big animal control guys take George away. My little guy said that "wasn't good." He wasn't too disturbed, but more sensitive kids who might have some abandonment issues already could have trouble here. Also, the museeum owner and his son have some issues. The father makes is clear he doesn't think much of his own son and likes Ted better. It's probably over most kids heads, but something to be aware of.
Other than that, it was a good flick. I would recomend it.
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AGE
Surprisingly good
I was surprised how good this movie was. There's certainly some bad behavior on the part of some of the characters, but I actually felt it was pretty realistic (in terms of the real life conflicts that can make life difficult and affect how people treat each other). My 3 year old (and other toddlers in the theater) actuall started crying when Curious George was take away. I was amazed at how the movie connected with them on that narrative level.
The movie's also pretty funny and watchable for an adult - the man with the yellow hat being the flawed parent.
I found the movie was better than the original books, where the man with the yellow hat is not given much development.
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AGE
A great first movie for a toddler
A playful and lonely monkey finds a friend in the man in the yellow hat. Their relationship has ups and downs, but they help each other out in the end.
One part that mildly upset my 2-year-old was when animal control came for George. Otherwise there were no problems at all.
Also, the soundtrack is mellow and fun. We went out and bought that after watching the movie.
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AGE
As Good As it Gets
My whole family enjoyed the film, especially my 3.5 year old. He laughed out loud in parts and has been wanting to go see it again. My husband and I appreciated the simple animation and the nods to the original books. Although this is as good as it gets for non-offensive material for this age group, I was struck by the cavalier attitude about taking artifacts from their native land for profit and the man in the yellow hat's willingness to trick the public with a hologram image of the statue. The prevalence of cell phones is a personal pet peeve that got triggered for me with the use of a camera cell phone, though I have to acknowledge that this is our children's reality. Overall, though, it is a great family film.
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AGE
So Cute
Took our 2 year old son and 5 year old daughter to see it, they loved it. It was a cartoon that was made for kids. Bright colors great soundtrack and NO adult messages hiden in it. Without the hidden adult content it can seem a little dull to older kids and adults but this was made for the younger kids. I'm very thankful for a movie that is made with young kids in mind.
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AGE
A bright, sweet, faithful adaptation of the beloved children’s books.
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AGE
Great for the whole family.
We love love love George in our house. This movie is cute, funny and all-around great. CG is a classic tale and even in this updated version, still has a great story.
I don't agree w/ it being scary in the least. The reason the kids are bored in the museum (to respond to Tahoe trio's review) is because the man in the yellow hat isn't reaching the kids on their level - pretty sure the same thing would happen with any group of kids in a museum if a man was reading things off cards to them. The point they are trying to make is that learning can be fun!
There are a few obvious product placements - but nothing most kids would notice (my son notices that the truck is a "VW" but that's only because we drive a VW and he recognizes the logo) .
Really - can't say enough good about this movie. Its great!
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| Topics: | book characters, wild animals |
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Matthew O'Callaghan |
| Cast: | Drew Barrymore, Eugene Levy, Will Ferrell |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 77 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | February 10, 2006 |
| DVD release date: | September 26, 2006 |
| MPAA rating: | G |
| MPAA explanation: | all ages |
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