Review of Chimpanzee (2012) by James B — 23 Mar 2013

It would have been enough to have the amazing close-up look at the world a band of chimpanzees in a remote African rain forest - and the film is, indeed, very close-up and intimate, capturing unexpected and endearing (as well as some humorous) interactions.

But what makes this special is the arc of the life story of a baby chimp, Oscar, as the filmmakers follow him from birth through an unexpected trauma when he is still young and vulnerable. Very much a family-friendly film, appropriate for young children, people of all ages will be fascinated.

The narration by Tim Allen sometimes veers into a little too much silliness or anthropomorphism, but overall it works. As the credits rolled at the end, we're even given a glimpse of what the filmmakers had to endure to capture the images.

Impressive!