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Parents' Guide to

Monkey Kingdom

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Tina Fey-narrated monkey documentary is funny, educational.

Movie G 2015 81 minutes
Monkey Kingdom Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Gamer4056
Gamer4056 Adult
May 23, 2018
age 13+

Monkey Kingdom Parent Guide

This movie is fun and educational. Nudity: Baby Monkeys have no fur on yet after they are born. Violence: Circle of Life violence. No gangster content that is similar to what happened in the "Chimpanzee" documentary movie made by the creators of this one. There may be content that kids under 13 may not understand unless, they are one of those 12 year olds that a parent guide I used in one of my reviews on this website, mentioned. Here is the excerpt or piece from the guide that talks about the requirements for that 12 year old. Excerpt: "The 12 year old can't be violent, have a history of gambling underage illegally, not know how old you have to be to use tobacco and alcohol and other drugs, has a history of going out naked in public or does not understand the laws of clothing and does not understand thematic elements if he or she wants to play a game with these ratings. The 12 year old also needs to understand that people bleed and no one should be the cause of a person bleeding on purpose." If movies had game ratings, this movie would or should be rated T for Teen by ESRB and Pegi-12 (12+) by Pegi. The quoted excerpt came from a game ratings guide from the internet. There are games that have the same content that is in this movie. All rights go to ESRB and Pegi for that excerpt. Great role models: The monkeys can be counted as role models because they made the film awesome. The people that made this movie are awesome creators. The content that may not be suitable for kids under 13 unless, they are one of those 12 year olds that were mentioned earlier, is hard to explain. There is no gambling, tobacco, alcohol or other drugs. But, remember the violence part of that excerpt from the thing I mentioned earlier. The Circle of Life violence is a little strong and scary. The enjoyment of watching the violence might make a kid want to be violent. All violence in the movie is domestic violence. The nudity scenes are not that bad. Trust me. Be careful. I hoped this helped.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
raymondjj
raymondjj Adult
January 4, 2016
age 6+

Monkey Kingdom a "Chimp" Off The Old Block! (FUN!)

Highly recommend this "Disney Nature Documentary" for families of all ages, but especially fort those who are interested in "nature films".. It reaches many things about the "Monkey Kingdom" providing knowledge and incite as to their habitat. I didn't mind the "monkey Violence" in the movies a s with nature it's the "survival of the fittest", life's cycle! Those who enjoy nature films and teaching their kids something abut nature and the life cycle will enjoy this film to go along with the other Disney Nature Films now available on DVD. Cheers! RainbowRay

This title has:

Great messages
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Set in Sri Lanka, MONKEY KINGDOM is narrated by Tina Fey and follows Maya, a female toque macaque at the bottom of her clan's social hierarchy. Maya isn't one of the alpha male's preferred mates -- those are a trio of sister macaques who are quick to swat at any monkeys who don't know their place -- but she's still plucky and finds her own way. When "hunky monkey" Kumar visits the troop's habitat -- dubbed Castle Rock -- during mating season and picks Maya to woo, she ends up pregnant ... but the alpha male banishes Kumar from the clan. After baby Kip's birth, Maya must find a way to overcome her bottom-of-the-ladder social status to make sure her son is fed and safe.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (3 ):

Nature film experts Mark Linfield and Alastair Fothergill reteam for another Disneynature wildlife documentary that's sure to please both kids and parents. These types of films do tend to humanize the animal subjects, but that won't bother most young viewers (or many older ones, frankly). Thanks to Fey's winning narration and the compelling central storyline, the documentary has a strong narrative arc. Maya is the ideal "underdog"; she's low-born but doesn't let that get in her way, especially when Kumar and baby Kip enter the picture. It's impossible not to root for her and Kip to survive -- even if that means other monkeys are the ones falling prey to alligators and aggressive rivals.

And the visuals, as always, are spectacular. The gorgeous fig tree, the Castle Rock habitat, the neighboring bears -- it's all shot with a majesty and beauty that showcases everything from the three freckles on Maya's face to the heavy rain during monsoon season to the shady trees where the posher monkeys take shelter. Thanks to Maya's courtship with Kumar, the introduction of the baby, and the rival clan, Monkey Kingdom has plenty of plot. It's easy to watch for both for the story and the cinematography -- a great combination of entertainment and educational value. And if little ones get worried about Maya and baby Kip, just remind them that this is, after all, a Disney movie, and our favorite characters will get their happily ever after.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why wildlife documentaries like Monkey Kingdom are so popular. What attracts families to nature films? Are they more appropriate for kids than other live-action movies? Why or why not?

  • Narrator Tina Fey combines moments of humor and imagined dialogue with facts about the monkeys' lives, habitats, and social structure. Does the balance of humor and trivia work? Which parts do you prefer?

  • Does humanizing animals in movies like Monkey Kingdom make them more or less relatable? How are some of the animals depicted as "good" and "caring"? Or as "bullies"?

  • How does Monkey Kingdom compare to other wildlife documentaries?

  • How does Monkey Kingdom promote courage? Why is this an important character strength?

Movie Details

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