Monkey Movie Review - "The Last Mimzy"

"The Last Mimzy" is the story of a young brother and sister who discover a box of toys that turns out to be a communication device from the future. This gives them extraordinary powers. The story then develops around how their new abilities affect their parents, their teachers, and the US Government.

The movie presents excellent performances by newcomers Chris O'Neil as Noah Wilder (the brother) and Rhiannon Leigh Wynn as Emma Wilder (the sister). This is the first movie for Chris and the second for Rhiannon. She also played Betty Ross (as a child) in the 2003 flick - Hulk.

My granddaughter's name is also Rhiannon, so that automatically put this young actress near the top of my Christmas Card list.

Powerful roles are presented by Timothy Hutton as David Wilder (the father) and Joely Richardson as Jo Wilder (the mother). They convincingly portray parents who become increasingly confused, fearful, and concerned as these peculiar playthings transform their little boy and girl into wunderkinder. Michael Clarke Duncan also makes a strong contribution to the story as Nathanial Broadman, the Dept. of Homeland Security officer who is assigned to determine if the electrical blackout (caused by the children) is an act of terrorism. You may remember him as the condemned prisoner John Coffey in "The Green Mile".

The special effects are impressive, and accent the story without overwhelming the plot. I particularly like the triangle matrix scenes, which are hypnotic.

"The Last Mimzy" is based on a 1943 short story "Mimzy Were the Borogroves" by Lewis Padgett. Lewis Padgett was the joint pseudonym for science fiction authors (and spouses) Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore. "MWTB" is a well known story among SF devotees.

Robert Shaye directed this film - with a concentration on closeups of Noah's and Emma's faces as they are transformed by their discovery. The "time travel" toys are designed so that they can only be used by young children. Noah's and Emma's innocence and lack of a hardened world view allow them to more easily accept the extraordinary properties of these devices. The director creates a family dynamic which pits the "down to earth" viewpoint of the parents against the magical perceptions of the children. This results in a dramatic tension, which makes the story more compelling.

Shaye has a strong background in sci fi movies. He was a producer for a number of "Lord of the Rings" movies, as well as "Frequency" (2000), and a few "Nightmare on Elm Street" flicks.

Primate Perspective: I think that this movie will appeal to Capuchin monkeys. They only come down to the ground to drink, so ethereal stories appeal to them. They also have a long maturation period (4 to 8 years, depending on the sex) so stories that involve children are perennial favorites.

Summary: I give this movie 3 bananas. Chris O'Neill's and Rhiannon Leigh Wynn's vigorous performances are interesting and believable. Also, Robert Shaye's focused directing and the excellent special effects combine with the childrens' portrayals to make "The Last Mimzy" an exciting and enjoyable viewing experience.

Monkey Movie Review - "Shooter"

This afternoon, my wife, my sister, and I went to see "Shooter", Mark Wahlberg's new movie. I would describe it as - a guy movie - with intelligence.

The plot is smart, fast moving, and believeable, with enough twists and turns to make you feel like you are driving a Formula 1 racer at Le Mans. Mark Mancina's gripping sound track ratchets up the level of suspense even more.

Wahlberg plays Bobby Lee Swagger, an ex-Marine sniper, who is recruited by Colonel Issac Johnson (Danny Glover) for what Bobby thinks is a mission to prevent a Presidential assasination. He subsequently finds out that he has been set up as the fall guy for the assasination attempt. The story then winds through a number of chase scenes (as the government tries to capture Bobby) and counterattacks (as Bobby tries to clear his name, and take revenge on his tormentors). It's tough to tell the good guys from the bad guys in this movie, which increases the dramatic tension even more.

Danny Glover plays the consummate evil doer in an organization of shadowy government figures and hired thugs. He is so evil that you want to reach through the screen and strangle him as he carries out his dark missions and his persecution of Bobby Lee. That's the sign of a really good performance, when an actor can make you hate his character so much.

A suspense story wouldn't be complete without "the girl". In this flick she is Sarah Fenn, who is played by Kate Mara. Kate's simple beauty is hypnotizing, and her performance - as the widow of Bobby Lee's Marine sniper partner - is dynamic. Kate's character displays a vulnerability that makes her beauty even more compelling. Sarah helps Bobby Lee to recover from his injuries after the bad guys attempt to kill him following the assasination attempt. She figures centrally in the story from that point on. Kate also played the role of Alma Jr. (age 19) in Brokeback Mountain.

Michael Pena contributes an vigorous performance as FBI agent Nick Memphis, who inadvertantly becomes Bobby Lee's partner, after he recognizes that the official government story of the assasination attempt is "shot full of holes". Michael also played the unforgettable role of Daniel, the locksmith, in "Crash". His daughter "saving" him in the shooting scene is one of my all time favorite movie moments!

"Shooter" was directed by Antoine Fuqua. His transformation of Stephen Hunter's novel "Point of Impact" into this movie is masterful. He also directed other thrillers - "Training Day" with Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke, and "Tears of the Sun" with Bruce Willis. It is obvious that Antoine has learned well how to create a cinematic experience that is visually compelling with a riveting plot.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this movie was the cinematography, which was directed by Peter Menzies Jr. There are many breathtaking panoramic shots of snow covered mountains as well as cityscapes that give this movie a grand sense of scale.

"Shooter" also contains some of the best napalm blasts that I have ever seen. That - combined with some terrific helicopter explosions - runs the needle off the end of The Guy Movie Scale.

Although this is definitely a Guy Movie, there is something for the ladies as well. In one scene, Mark Wahlberg takes his shirt off to tend to his gunshot wounds. His well muscled torso had my wife and sister drooling in their seats.

From a primate perspective, this is definitely a guy chimpanzee movie. Violent behavior is not uncommon in chimp groups, especially among the males. I am certain that Bobby Lee's attemps to unseat the alpha male (Colonel Johnson) of the shadow government organization would appeal to the Young Turks in chimpanzee societies.

Summary: I give "Shooter" 4 bananas for excitement, story line, and compelling imagery.

NOTE: The Monkey Prose Movie Scale goes from no bananas (It sucks.) to 5 bananas (It is one the best movies in human history!)

Monkey Movie Review - "Reign Over Me"

In the past few years, Adam Sandler has been making a transition from comedy to serious roles. His performance in "Spanglish" was powerful. However, in his new movie, "Reign Over Me", Adam "hits one out of the park".

This is one of the 10 best movies that I have seen - ever. Sandler's performance goes so far beyond today's typical Hollywood role that they should create a new Oscars category for it.

Adam portrays Charlie Fineman, a man who loses his wife and three daughters in the 9-11-01 tragedy. He is a shell of a man, who blocks out the horror in his past by limiting his life to video games, Bruce Springstein, and vinyl records from the 70's.

I was stunned by Sandler's portrayal. Adam presents such a depth of emotion that we see into the very core of a man who has suffered more heartbreak than any human being can endure. I can't remember another movie that affected me so deeply.

Don Cheadle plays Alan Johnson, a dentist with a successful practice and a loving family, but whose life has lost the spark that makes every new day interesting. He is bored and feels restricted by his wife Janeane (Jada Pinckett Smith) who has every minute of his day planned out.

When Alan runs into Charlie - his old college roommate - and sees his condition, he feels compelled to help him. In the process, Alan discovers that his rescue mission gives him some of the freedom and novelty that he has been seeking.

Donald Sutherland contributes a short, but commanding performance as Judge Raines, who is required to decide on Charlie's fate (mental hospital commitment or freedom) - after Charlie has a meltdown and tries to end his life. I believe that the title "Reign Over Me" referrs to the Judge's decision. Sutherland says my favorite line in the movie. When a lawyer for the State acts in a despicable manner during Charlie's sanity hearing, the Judge takes him into his chambers and says "If you ever do anything like that in my courtroom again, a hardened criminal will be using you as a dress up doll!"

Excellent performances are also presented by Robert Klein and Melinda Dillon, who play Jonathan and Ginger Timpleman, Charlie's estranged in-laws. Their struggle to bond with Charlie after the tragedy only pushes him away, because he doesn't want to associate with people who remind him of the past. The Timpleman's pain then turns to anger towards Charlie, which results in one of the most poignant scenes in the movie. You may remember Melinda as the little boy's mother in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

This movie was written, produced, and directed by Mike Binder. Mike also has a role in the movie as Bryan Sugarman, Charlie's friend and accountant. That's a lot of work for one person. I am guessing that Mike took on these multiple responsibilities because he wanted to retain creative control over this project. Based on the results, I'm glad that he did!

From a primate's perspective, I believe that this movie will appeal most to orangutans. While they are slow moving and not particularly demonstrative, I think that this is because orangutans feel things more deeply and internalize many of their emotions. This makes them more sensitive to stories that are filled with sturm und drang and catharsis.

Summary: I give "Reign Over Me" 5 bananas. I highly recommend it, but don't forget your Kleenex!

NOTE: The Monkey Prose Movie Scale goes from no bananas (It sucks.) to 5 (It is one of the best movies in human history).

Monkey Movie Review - "Music and Lyrics"

Today I am starting a new feature - Monkey Movie Review, which will incorporate a primate's perspective into film critiques. My first review is the recent release "Music and Lyrics" starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore.

"M&L" was directed by Marc Lawrence, who also directed a number of Sandra Bullock movies. Included were Two Week's Notice - which also starred Hugh Grant. I've never heard Marc say anything bad about monkeys, so Props to The Marc-meister for that!

This film is the story of Alex Fletcher, a washed up 80's pop star (Grant) who gets involved with Sophie Fisher (Barrymore), a girl who starts out watering his houseplants, but winds up growing love and new life in his heart.


There are two obstacles that this film has to overcome, and it succeeeds admirably.

First there is a considerable age difference between Grant and Barrymore - I am guessing at least 10 years. However they make us believe the romance because Grant has a boyish charm that takes years off of his screen persona, while Drew's compelling performance makes us believe that she has a depth and maturity that exceeds her chronological age.

Second there is the issue of music that is created for fictional performers. In many cases, it . . . well, sucks! Good examples would be the rock songs that the kids perform on "Saved By the Bell" and "Full House". It is so bad that often, I see monkeys sticking bananas in their ears just to lessen the pain! However, in "Music and Lyrics", there are two songs that break this mold - Pop Goes My Heart (a catchy 80's pop tune) and Way Back Into Love (a poignant ballad about searching for love). Both songs, written by Adam Schlesinger, could be chart climbers on their own, even if they weren't part of the soundtrack.

The story line "somewhat" follows the Nora Ephron romantic comedy format, but in many ways breaks new ground with unexpected plot turns. For example, in one scene, you think that Sophie has abandoned their musical partnership at a critical time - only to find out that she saves Alex's career by a last minute decision. This came as a surprise to the audience.

Brad Garrett contributes a believeable performance as Chris Riley, Alex Fletcher's agent. He successfully breaks out of the "Raymond's brother" mold and creates a likeable, quirky character who seems like the kind of person who would be managing an over the hill pop singer.

All in all, I liked this movie very much! I thought that the quality of "Music and Lyrics" was well above the pap that Hollywood is churning out these days. Both Hugh Grant's and Drew Barrymore's performances were powerful and enjoyable. This is one of the few movies that I would go and see again!

From a primate perspective, I think that bonobos will enjoy this movie more than chimpanzees. Bonobos have a much gentler nature. They are a matriarchal society (women rule) and they solve conflicts by having sex rather than fighting. Romantic comedies are their forte.

Chimps, on the other hand, tend to be more violent. They prefer action films like Mission Impossible, with helicopters getting blown up, and dozens of charred soldiers being tossed skyward by huge explosions.

Bottom line - an Opposable Thumbs Up for "Music and Lyrics"!