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The Movie: When it was announced that "Curious George" was being made into a movie, I was a little skeptical. Would the books that I grew up reading as a little kid translate well? On the other hand, I also wondered if kids these days, raised on hyperactive fare like "Pokemon", would have much interest in an old-fashioned adventure. Thankfully, the picture fared well at the box office, despite the cringe-worthy tag line on the ads: "Show Me the Monkey!" The animated picture focuses on Ted/Man in the Yellow Hat (voiced by Will Ferrell), an archeologist who takes on the task of saving his museum, which is about to go broke. The curator (Dick Van Dyke), much to the irritation of his son (David Cross), sends Ted to Africa to bring back a priceless statue that could be a centerpiece exhibit. On his travels, Ted runs into a curious little monkey named George. While Ted is initially bugged by George constantly around him and taking his hat, he eventually warms up to his new little friend. While Ted eventually heads home, he's unaware that George has also made his way aboard in an attempt to follow his new friend home. Making a new home in Ted's apartment, George's curiosity tends to get him into some trouble. Essentially, that's about all there is to the picture, which manages to be inoffensive and wholesome without being bland. The film's animation (a mix of CGI and traditional animation) is pleasant, with a storybook style that's rather beautiful at times. The voice acting is also solid, with Ferrell offering an amusing (and yet pretty straightforward - for Ferrell, at least) effort. Smaller efforts from Cross, Van Dyke, Barrymore and Eugene Levy are also entertaining. George is also a cute creation, as the animation and voice performance combine to give George personality and not just have him seem about selling toys. Overall, this is a sweet, likable little movie that doesn't provide a lot of in-jokes and pop-culture references - it just offers an entertaining adventure that adults and kids can enjoy. The DVD VIDEO: "Curious George" is presented by Universal in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The presentation is nothing short of terrific, showing off the animation beautifully. Sharpness and detail were stellar, as the picture looked consistently crisp and clear. No edge enhancement was spotted, nor was any artifacting. The elements also appeared crisp and clean. Colors looked bright and rich, with superb saturation and no smearing. SOUND: The film's Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation is about as tame as one would expect, given the material. While the surrounds do come to life during a few of the bigger scenes, the audio is largely calm. Audio quality remained first-rate, as the score sounded warm and crisp, while dialogue remained clear and undistorted. EXTRAS: 15 deleted scenes (nearly 17 minutes, with a lot of footage that is not final animation) are included. The deleted footage offers some amusing moments, but appears to have been cut for pacing. We also get a featurette about drawing George, a music video, games, a read-along featurette and a short animation featurette. Final Thoughts: I found "Curious George" to be a pleasant surprise: it's a sweet, funny and involving adventure that adults and kids can enjoy. The DVD offers excellent video quality, fine audio and a few minor supplements. Recommended. 
Film Grade The Film A- DVD Grades Video 92/A Audio: 91/A- Extras: 75/C |