George of the Jungle ˜ Tarzan for Toddlers
George of the Jungle might have tickled my funny bone when I was a wee lad. His place is forever etched deep in my memory, lying somewhere where Curious George and Amelia Bedelia also roam. After all, who can forget that unforgettable upbeat jungle song which ended with the words: Watch out for that tree! I couldn't stop laughing, but my parents could never quite appreciate the slapstick silliness.
For better or worse, that quality hasn't changed. An animated opening recounts how George, as a baby, wound up in the Buvuku jungle, in the heart of Africa. He is befriended and raised by an assortment of animals, including Ape, who is a scholarly, talking gorilla; Tookie-Tookie, a toucan; and Shep, an elephant. George (Brendan Fraser) grows up to be the guardian and self-proclaimed king of the jungle. Yet despite his physical prowess, when it comes to vine-swinging, he is navigationally challenged. You'll hear more than a few disconcerting "thuds" in this movie.
We are also introduced to Ursula (Leslie Mann), a sweet but meek socialite who is rethinking her engagement to the snooty Lyle Van de Groot (Thomas Haden Church) while exploring the lush Buvuku. During her expedition, she is threatened by a lion. George saves her and takes her back to his treehouse. The result is a slowly developing love story between the city girl and the jungle boy. But mostly, this is a movie that incorporates dozens of slapstick moments. For example, we see George receiving sex education from a gorilla. We watch Lyle try in vain to outwit George. We see two bumbling poachers try to kidnap (apenap?) Ape so that they can cash in on this talking phenomenon. And we see George, who has been taken back to America by Ursula, try to adapt to his modern surroundings. One especially funny scene involves George watching a TV commercial that equates falling with love with having lots and lots of coffee. Mistaking this as a weapon of woo, George immediately and voraciously munches on all the coffee that he can find in the house. The caffeine buzz makes him hyper, and he runs out into the streets of his concrete jungle, where more silliness ensues.
Yet, while the movie does have it's funny moments, it became obvious to me that I had outgrown the silliness and the shenanigans of George and his jungle pals. Yes, I have become my parents. It should be noted, however, that Fraser is physically agile, boyishly appealing and brings good comic timing to the role. And, to Disney's credit, all of the children in the theatre were laughing and enjoying the jokes and the humor of it all. However, while the portions were just right for the young ones, adults will find this fare not very filling.
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