The Canadian Cinephile's Reviews

The world of Curious George comes to the big screen in this warm, colorful version of the beloved children’s book character. Curious George is a bright, light film that covers a very basic and simple storyline involving everyone’s favorite little monkey and the Man in the Yellow Hat. With hilarious set-ups and cute moments throughout, Curious George is the ultimate in Saturday matinée goodness for kids of all ages.

The Man in the Yellow Hat is voiced by Will Ferrell. Ferrell is often hilarious here, using his talents to bring some real character to the Man in the Yellow Hat without abandoning any of the tradition set up by the books. Ferrell’s Man in the Yellow Hat is funny, klutzy and amusing. He is the perfect friend to George, the curious little monkey, and their introduction in the jungle is adorable and heartwarming.

The film itself is quite whimsical and amusing, colored with lots of bright moments and enjoyable set-ups. The voice talents guide the film gently and give the animated flavor some real substance. David Cross, Drew Barrymore, the delightful Dick Van Dyke, Eugene Levy and Joan Plowright all contribute to the wonderful story.

Curious George is simply gentle entertainment, offering a warming diversion to children’s fare that is often too showy, too loud or too chaotic. Relying on generous heaps of colored 2D animation instead of the standard CGI animation, George is a film that feels like a throwback to some of the better children’s films of years past. The animation style fits the content of the Reys’ classics, too, making a simple and gentle impression in film form.

The character of George himself is possibly one of the most adorable animated characters I’ve seen in recent memory and, guided by Jack Johnson’s beautiful soundtrack, made for a relaxing and soft time watching the film.

7/10