Curious GeorgeRating: * * 1/2Type: Animated/FamilyLength: 82 minutesMPAA Rating: GCast: Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, David Cross, Eugene LevyDirector: Matthew O’CallaghanPlaying: Carmike 15, Six Forks, Grande, Crossroads
Over the years, films have shown the importance of the family — not only within the art form itself, but for me as well. Movies like Shrek, Ice Age and Finding Nemo have provided an outlet to laugh at the ridiculous, as well as an insight into the trials people, and in some cases animals or even brave little toasters, face every day.
While containing the basic elements of this formula, Curious George lacks a certain whimsy that other such productions have managed to capture. It loses this aspect from a reliance on tried-and-true ideals of what a children’s movie should be — bright colors, flat characters, light comedy, monkeys, etc.
But any true “children’s movie” should always contain a deeply layered message of realization within the cast itself. Instead of using comedy as a crutch for storytelling, a movie with source material at the caliber of Curious George needs a level of beauty to match. Sadly, in redefining the origins of the source material, they failed to redefine, or at least replicate, the same love from my childhood.
This is not to say that the movie is a complete loss; it contains two more modernized aspects that lift the film somewhere above the realm of mediocrity. First and foremost is the art style, which attempts to bring two-dimensional imagery into a three-dimensional setting and gives the movie a sort of living picture book style.
However, the nature of such art is often overshadowed by the excessively bright colors and the animation style, which holds the key to some of the “whimsy” mentioned earlier.
The other facet is the soundtrack by beach bum Jack Johnson, which does give the movie a subtle sense of beauty, bestowing upon the character of George a somewhat reflective quality.
The acting performances, while not wholly memorable, at least manage to serve their assigned functions in furthering the story. If there is a stand-out performance worth noting, it’s that of aging TV star Dick Van Dyke. He manages to breathe the most life into the film by having a voice that truly and believably furthers a theme of hope.
In the end, this is not a family film designed for the entirety of the household; it’s simply a pleasant distraction for a young mind as it tries to figure out how the world can work if you just go out and try new things. While not a unique message by any stretch of the imagination, it’s certainly one that can never afford to be forgotten.
