CHIMPANZEE – The Review

Ok, baby chimpanzees are cute, but THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!

You will be hard pressed this Earth Day to find a more entertaining few hours than DisneyNature’s CHIMPANZEE. The latest in Disney’s series of nature-themed Earth Day releases (EARTH, OCEANS, AFRICAN CATS) takes us deep into the Tai Forest in Africa’s Ivory Coast. Here we meet baby chimp Oscar and his family, including mom Isha and family leader Freddy.

Narrated humorously by Tim Allen, we follow the family’s daily rituals as Oscar, under the watchful eye of Isha, learns how to be a chimpanzee. His days are filled with playing and eating, checking in with mom, and then more playing. And then he plays some more, until Isha tenderly reels him in for bedtime.

When Oscar’s family comes under attack from a neighboring family of chimps trying to take over the coveted nut tree grove, things go terribly wrong for the little guy and he suddenly finds himself all alone. He searches in vain for Isha but finds only females who have neither the patience nor the inclination to care for him. A most unlikely ally emerges in Freddy, the group’s alpha male whose main priority is keeping the family and their nut tree grove safe from approaching chimp marauders. But Freddy senses a need to care for little Oscar and changes his life forever.

Directed by Alastair Fothergill (“African Cats” and “Earth”) and Mark Linfield (“Earth”), CHIMPANZEE, like their previous nature films, gives us an extraordinary glimpse into not only the daily existence of wild chimpanzees, but also the superhuman effort it takes to capture these images. It took nearly 3 years to complete this project, with filmmakers having to bravely endure extremely difficult filming conditions that included hazardous weather, a civil war, and literally millions of insects 24 hours a day. There is some fantastic behind-the-scenes footage during the end credits, so stick around to see just how insane the conditions really were.

Unlike some of the previous Earth Day films, CHIMPANZEE takes a decidedly lighter tone. Much time is spent just watching the chimps be joyful and happy in their little piece of paradise. Tim Allen does a great job of being funny, almost as if it were the chimps that are speaking. If you are looking for something to do this Earth Day, pack up the family and go see CHIMPANZEE.

Rated G by the MPAA, CHIMPANZEE swings into theaters on April 20, 2012, just in time for Earth Day.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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