Review of Monkey Kingdom (2015) by Greg B — 24 Apr 2015

"Monkey Kingdom" is the latest Disneynature Earth Day production. This piece revolves around a troop of macaque monkeys in remote Sri Lanka that are in a constant struggle for food and fending off their home from competing troops.

The heroine in the story is Maya, a macaque at the bottom of her troop's self-proclaimed social hierarchy. She has to fight for scraps while the alpha and his posse sit pretty. The dynamic changes when an outsider macaque named Kumar impregnates Maya with a cub named Kip, which forces Maya to re-evaluate her place in the troop and strive to provide for her son.

The troop is in a perpetual struggle for survival, and we even meet other local natives such as sloth bears, monitor lizards, and even flying termites. As a nature documentary, I thought this film was well done.

The subject matter is compelling, and the choreographer was able to take several amazing shots that capture the animals in their grandeur. I actually thought this movie was a bit mature for children, considering the genitalia shown and the prevalent themes of sexuality and violence.

However, I thought this film was on par with "Bears" with 2014 and may actually have been shot with more conviction and different angles. One can only do so much to narrate animals in their natural state, but the narrator does a fine job capturing the social dynamic and the majesty of the forests of Sri Lanka -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B.