Sunday, February 05, 2006

Curious George

Alissa and I had the fortune to attend an advanced screening of Curious George on Saturday morning. It was as fun as a barrel full of monkeys. Ron Howard has made a great family film that is actually appropriate for all children. As a parent now, I look at films in a whole new way. While I enjoy all sorts of films, I am now watching them while asking myself if I would feel comfortable letting Emma watch this. The answer to that question is absolutely for Curious George.

The movie tells the story of how the man in the yellow hat and Curious George come together. Will Ferrell is the voice of Ted. He works for a museum that is going under. In an attempt to save the museum, Ted volunteers to go to Africa to bring home a great new exhibit to boost attendance. Once in Africa, Ted meets an adorable little monkey who follows him everywhere. After some disappointments, Ted heads back home defeated. Curious George follows him back home to the States and chaos ensues. Curious George lives up to his name as he gets into all sorts of trouble in the big city.

Curious George also uses the talents of Drew Barrymore, David Cross, and Dick Van Dyke. Despite being a movie that is geared towards children under 10, Alissa and I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. We laughed and found ourselves comparing Emma to George. The film is under an hour and a half, so it is perfect to bring your kids to. I am sure that we will see this movie many more times on DVD after we purchase it for Emma’s library.