Dir. Matthew O'Callaghan
Writ. Ken Kaufman, H.A. Rey
Act. Will Ferrell, Drew Berrymore, Dick Van Dyke, David Cross

When I was a child in the 1970's I had a Curious George book just like the one that is used in the movie Forrest Gump. I loved that book. It was perfect for the little boy in me because it made me laugh and smile. After many years, a movie based on that marvelous little monkey has been made and it does not disappoint. It is truly a sweet movie and a must see for all children and a few grown ups too.

The Man in the Yellow Hat, voiced by Will Ferrell (Kicking and Screaming,) is sent to Africa to find a lost idol for the museum he works for to bring it back and save the museum from becoming a parking garage. Instead of finding the idol, The Man finds a little monkey who has way of getting in trouble without getting into trouble. The monkey follows The Man back to New York and ends up helping him save the museum and creating a lot of mischief along the way.

There are many things to remember about in this movie. The first thing that comes to mind is the music, it is absolutely wonderful. Many Cartoons have music that either get in the way or don't compliment it at all, like Chicken Little. However, for Curious George, the songs fit perfectly, add the right touch of emotion and feeling, andlet's not forget that the music is just wonderful. Many times, I was grinning from ear to ear as I watched Curious George hopping around having fun listening to great music. My hat goes off to the men that made this wonderful music, and they are Jack Johnson and Heitor Pereira.

Surprisingly I thought Will Ferrell did a great job as The Man in the Yellow Hat. By voicing himself, he added a realism that is sometimes missed by actors who try to do voiceovers. He didn't add anything outlandish, say like Robin Williams, and he wasn't too bland like Ewan McGregor in Robots or the cast of Madagascar. Ferrell was perfect and he did a great job.

Matthew O'Callaghan did a marvelous job bringing this wonderful monkey to life. He brought a child like quality to his directing that made George just so wonderful to watch that it reminded me of that book and all the great times I had with my dad reading it me and with him. Even though this story is about a man and his monkey, inside the story, to me anyway, it is about a father and son and their relationship as the child grows up. I should also mention that for these same reasons screenwriter Ken Kaufman did a great job a creating a fun and wonderful story based on H. A. Rey's characters from the book. From the beginning to end this movie was an absolute treat to watch.

Curious George is easily one of my favorite movies in the early part of 2006. The movie does everything that I could ask a children's movie to do and it is wonderful. I highly recommend this movie to all parents of children of ages, you won't be disappointed and it should bring a smile to your face and a warm feeling in your heart.

Brian - the Naked Gun