Movie Review: Disneynature's Chimpanzee (2012)
 |
| I don’t
generally watch animal documentaries. It’s not that I don’t
love animals; I do. The problem with animal documentaries
for me is that I dread the inevitable death scene where one
of the animals, usually one that I’ve grown attached to,
meets a bloody end. Although I understand the circle of
life, watching it is not how I like to be entertained. And so, it was with trepidation that I went to see Disneynature’s fourth offering (after Earth (2009), Oceans (2010), and African Cats (2011)), Chimpanzee. I hadn't seen any of Disneynature's prior films, but after watching the commercials for Chimpanzee featuring an adorable young chimp, I couldn't resist. Chimpanzee begins with sweeping views of a beautiful rainforest in Africa. Inside, we find a newborn chimp, Oscar, in the arms of his mother, Isha. What follows is up-close, crystal clear footage that was filmed throughout Oscar’s first three years of life. In the hours of documentary footage, Disney found the story. Narration, provided by Tim Allen, tells this story and makes comparisons between Oscar’s life and ours. The film shows both Oscar’s playful antics and the serious business of surviving in the forest. Oscar learns to climb, find food, use tools, and deal with the threat of a rival band of chimpanzees competing for limited food resources. There are the inevitable sad moments, but they mostly happen off-camera, allowing the touching moments and the laugh out loud funny moments to be the ones to remember. Overall, I enjoyed Chimpanzee, especially the behind-the-scenes footage shown at the end of the movie of the filmmakers enduring a shoot that was at times harrowing and at others touching and intimate. Chimpanzee inspired me to want to go back and watch Disneynature's past films, and the ones that are sure to follow. |
| Jen's grade: B Better than most |
|
Chimpanzee opens in theaters on April 20th, 2012. Chimpanzee is rated G. |
| Jen (California,USA)* |
| * Jen won four complimentary tickets to a screening of Chimpanzee. |
Find more of Jen's movie reviews here. |