Review of Chimpanzee (2012) by Jaileen R — 27 Apr 2012

Chimpanzee April 20.

Initial Reaction: I wonder what this film will feature?

Main Characters.

Tim Allen: He's the narrator.

Oscar: He's a cuddly chimp kid.

Plot Summary.

This movie is about the life of a chimp family that consists of a whole lot of chimpanzees. It tells how they move about their territory to gather food, use tools to get the food from hard to reach areas, and to ward off other groups of chimps.

At the center of the stage is Oscar, a chimp who has his ordinary life turned upside down when he loses his mother in an attack by rivals. Afterwards, he has to find someone else to raise him and teach him the chimp way of life.

SCORING.

Main Characters.

Tim Allen is okay - he can get annoying sometimes by dumbing down the material, but other parts he can be funny.

But Oscar is the star of the movie - he is really cute and absolutely adorable. SCORE: 8.

Supporting Cast.

The rest of Oscar's family has some quirks to him, including his mother, the alpha male, and a grandfather who takes it really easy.

But I do have a problem with the rival gang. The movie portrays them as being evil while trying not to portray them as being evil. Besides, naming the leader of the bad guys Scar is a bad idea because it will make me think too much of the Disney movie, The Lion King. SCORE: 7.

Plot.

The movie has some great moments - like when Oscar tries to bash open nuts with logs and fails. But there are some parts that seem to drag - mostly about Scar and his family, and Oscar's family's constant search for food. SCORE: 6.

Originality.

This tries to put a new spin on a nature show, but just doesn't quite cut it. I've seen something like this on the Discovery Channel, a few PBS stations, and Animal Planet. SCORE: 4.

Violence Factor.

I know the filmmakers don't want to scare the audience, but I still wonder how do chimps fight? All I see are a bunch of chimps running about, bashing trees with their hands. SCORE: 5.

Other Moral Issues.

This film is about how chimps survive in the wild and how Oscar can find someone to help him grow into a big chimp. But it constantly bashes Scar and his family for wasting their resources. SCORE: 8.

Final Score (out of 60): 38 % Score: 63.33%.

The ever cute Oscar makes this film - well, average.