CURIOUS GEORGE

When I heard there was going to be a new feature-length animated version of the children's picture-book classic "Curious George," I was filled with dread. The first thing that popped into my head was Bill Murray's voice attached to a hideous CGI version of Garfield the cat. Thankfully, Curious George will not sully anyone's treasured soft-focus memories of reading the books about the curious monkey and his friend, the Man With the Yellow Hat (aka Ted).

I don't know when the last time was that I referred to something as "sweet" without some puckered disdain, but this movie really is sweet. It is gentle and unthreatening, like the rounded-corner portrayals of real-life angular things. Rightfully it aims at an audience that still wears pajamas with padded feet, and enjoys cuddling up to a blankie or maybe a stuffed monkey for comfort. You won't find the hipster lingo and sharp, clever writing of, say, a Pixar movie, but that's OK. Kids will be transfixed, soothed, and entertained by the cute little monkey, and his innocent antics that end up causing trouble for everyone (but no death and carnage!).

The plot involves big-city museum-worker Ted (voiced by Will Ferrell) going to Africa to find a lost monument that might finally draw crowds to the struggling museum. Instead he comes home disappointed on his quest, but with a new stowaway monkey friend, soon dubbed George. People are snapping up tickets to see an exhibit that doesn't exist, and Ted's boss mistakenly thinks that Ted has found a 40-foot idol, so Ted has to scramble for a solution. Throw in a curious monkey, and wackiness ensues. Let's just say, you might want to keep your kids away from paint, balloons, and skyscrapers for awhile.

I've read some bitter critics complaining about the stylistic update of what George and the cartoon look like, but frankly I didn't notice. You'll see images from the original books over the closing credits, and I can't see what the fuss is about. Sure, the inclusion of cell phones and a prominent and bizarre product placement of Volkswagen in the film (yes, product placement in a cartoon) is a little weird, but overall, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the movie. The film looked great, with its bold primary colors illuminated by a soft, golden glow (the story has some fun mocking Ted's yellow outfit). Like a simple picture book, there is no sensory overload, unlike, say the loud-looking (and sounding) "crazy critters" CGI movies that seem to be pouring into theaters every week.

There are several kid-friendly extras included on the DVD, including games like "Where's George?" and "Banana Hunt", and for those a little older, a couple shorts about drawing and animating George (I would have LOVED these as a kid). For the adults, check out the deleted scenes, and the discussion of adapting, yes, a real Volkswagen truck into the story, by softening its edges and details into a more round, bulbous, cartoon-like car. I watched this movie wearing my pajamas and lying in bed on a chilly Sunday morning—the perfect way to cozy up with this updated, and completely inoffensive little monkey.