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Monkey Trouble
By Brian Costello,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Ludicrous monkey caper has loads of potty humor.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Monkey Trouble
Community Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Heartwarming and nostalgic
Language in description is false.
What's the Story?
Azro (Harvey Keitel) has a pet monkey. Together, they go up and down the Venice Beach boardwalk, where the monkey performs tricks for spare change. Azro has also trained his monkey to be an expert pickpocketer. When the hat is passed around for spare change, the monkey steals wallets, watches, and jewelry. This catches the attention of two mafia henchmen, who want Azro and his monkey to break into people's houses. But when the monkey escapes and takes up residence in a home where a little girl named Eva (Thora Birch) lives, Eva names the monkey "Dodger," and believes she has found a new friend to play with since her mother and stepfather are seemingly too engrossed in caring for Eva's baby brother. As Azro desperately tries to get the monkey back, Eva concocts a scheme to sneak out of the house for the weekend and make some money off her talented monkey. But she gets more than she bargained for when she learns that her new pet is also a kleptomaniac. Eva must train the monkey to stop stealing, while also avoiding the pursuit of the unpleasant Azro.
Is It Any Good?
MONKEY TROUBLE is more trouble than its worth. Perhaps there's at least something of a kitsch factor in a movie where a very young Thora Birch plays a mischievous and slightly bratty little girl, and Harvey Keitel plays a grizzled street performer. But with a kleptomaniac monkey, some serious overacting (from Birch in particular), a predictable story, and low-brow humor (which should come as no surprise, seeing how a monkey is billed as the "star" of the movie), this movie really doesn't have much to offer.
While animal lovers and fans of animal movies might enjoy some of the monkey's tricks, the fact that the monkey basically robs people blind and finds a lot of humor in urination and flatulence is enough to turn off lots of folks over the age of 12. And for parents, the way Birch's character figures out a way to sneak out of the house for an entire weekend by lying about where she's going might inspire some terrible ideas for kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about movies where animals are prominently featured. How does this compare? Why are so many movies about animals?
Do the monkey's talents and abilities seem realistic to you?
What were the consequences for Eva sneaking out? What would happen to you if you disobeyed your parents' rules like that?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: September 3, 2002
- Cast: Harvey Keitel , Mimi Rogers , Thora Birch
- Director: Franco Amurri
- Studio: New Line
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Wild Animals
- Run time: 96 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: a moment of menace
- Last updated: January 2, 2023
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