Very disappointed :(

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

This Disney Studios (Disneynature) feature focuses on a community of about fifty macaque monkeys who inhabit the jungles of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. As they like to dwell around the ancient temple ruins near Castle Rock now overgrown by jungle flora, they are known in the film as the Temple Troop. These monkeys are bound by a caste system, a strict social order that determines even what they eat. In the most prized fig tree, only those at the top capture the best and ripest fruit. Raja, the alpha male, is the king, supported by the three queens (the "Sisterhood") who back him. They and their offspring get what they want. As we descend the tree, the lesser monkeys get the lesser produce. At the bottom of the fig tree lowly Maya gets the scraps. The "high-born" monkeys even get the sunnier, warmer branches while the others shiver on the colder ones below. Before the movie ends Maya will ascend the top of the tree. This is her story.Lone male monkey Kumar enters the group during mating season, but is expelled by the alpha monkey Raja. Six months later, his offspring through Maya is born ("Kip"). During the heavy downpours of the rainy season Castle Rock makes a great shelter for the alpha monkeys. But the others suffer from the cold and dampness. One day a year is feast time for the lowly, when the termites come out. Cassata leaves are tasty, but only for the alphas. Needing to eat to form milk for Kip, Maya goes to the lily pond, where there is food but also predators. She swims for the tasty lily-seed pods (underwater plants). Eventually Maya and friends enter a human house at the forest edge and take all kinds of foods and leave a mess.Kumar eventually returns, smarter and stronger. He brings jackfruit as a bribe to Raja, who accepts the gift. Raja will need Kumar as a rival monkey group moves in, led by Rex. But Lex's group wins by tactical trickery and Raja's clan has to evacuate. The troop travels beyond the forest to the city to regroup; Maya becomes a queen as she has learned to take food from the humans. The journey further blurs the distinction between high-born and low-born. Out of their element, the alphas are bewildered, and strong Kumar takes the lead. Fortified, the Troop is ready to return to Castle Rock and regain the lost homeland. At Castle Rock the Troop attacks. Lex's group retreats as Kumar lays his claim as King of the Castle. Along with him, Maya and Kip - and his new sister – will live well as alphas. During the end credits the macaque monkeys approach the cameramen and "inspect" camera equipment. Yes, there is anthropomorphizing as the narrative of Tina Fey imposes human emotions on these animals. After all, the characters are animals, not humans. Does Maya really fight to beat the odds, or did she just get lucky and mate with a strong male? And were some parts of the film staged, like, for instance, the birthday party invasion where the humans are outside but the monkeys (and camera crew) are inside? Still, the filmmakers do not interfere and allow the monkeys to do their part like realizing their social structure and capturing their intimate close-ups: eating, sleeping, grooming, and playing. We also see their interaction with other animals, such as a mongoose and a langur. Animals in the story include bears, deer, Asian elephants, and predators such as a leopard and a seven-foot long monitor lizard. Disney has always done well with animal documentaries going back to the "True-Life Adventures" series. This one should please animal lovers everywhere.

In this latest outing by Disneynature, we meet Maya, a monkey who is an outcast to her own troop. Through pure determination and perseverance however, she survives and thrives. After she finds a mate, who is later runoff by the other monkeys; and becomes a mother to Kip, she continues her fight, even against the greatest odds. Even after being forcibly moved by a neighboring troop to a new home, and having to fight for survival and even traveling into a human village.It is while Maya and the other monkeys are in the human village that they get into a lot of mischief. Very entertaining and fun movie for the whole family.My only fault with the film is that the voice of Tina Fey can make you want to fall asleep.

I thought it was going to set in India and a version of 'Monkey Thieves'. I don't recall it from the trailer I saw 18 moths ago. It's good, because Subcontinent does not mean India only. And I also thought it was about the commonly known in Asia, the Rhesus variety. So this story takes place in the Sri Lankan deep jungle of Polonnaruwa. About a small Toque Macaque kingdom established many generations ago in the rock castle surrounded by the ruined ancient temple.Directed by the 'Chimpanzee' filmmakers, yet another stunningly presented primate genus creature that's specifically made for the little children like all the previous Disney Nature films. Narrated by Tina Fey, in many ways I find much better than John C. Reilly for the 'Bears'. I said that because I am an adult male and I found her voice was sexy, especially the dialogue deliverance. Something like when the film characters funnily talk (the human assumption in the human language) to each other to excite our kids and to be a family friendly film.The story follows the young female monkey called Maya. Like the majority of the colony she's a low-born, a lower ranked member under the Raja's rule, the alpha male and three royal sisters. Just like any human character films, this too has all the varieties like romance, drama, emotions, wars, survival, a life journey to rediscover and ultimately a revenge. All the above, the rise of the young generation, taking over from once a supreme leader."Together, on the edge of their territory, they wash away the city and relish the jungle around them."Whatever we saw in the film is not what exactly happened, because we can't understand their language and behaviours. But mostly translated and re-adjusting their acts to our understandable terminology. Somewhat it worked, mainly because it rated General. But in reality, it is always a harsh and dangerous environment in the animal world. Because rules are meant to be broken and challenged if you are strong enough to take the opposition. Physical strength is the most essential in the jungle to survive.There will be no trials for the crimes, only on-spot punishment or you can expel yourself to avoid it and flee the spot. Only the film crew knows the truth and all these I meant to be for grownups. Because the raw and uncut animal documentaries we see on television hurts us in a way, if you are a light-hearted, especially to know how the food chain works and rivalry within the same species.As for the kids, it was a finest documentary, very inspiring and knowledgeable. I learnt that monkeys can swim, not on the water surface, but dives to the deep into the bed. So far I am thorough with Disney Nature's production and distribution filmography and now I am eagerly waiting for the release of 'Born in China'. Because I haven't seen documentary films about Pandas, so it will going to be a very exciting one for sure. And another reason to celebrate is that the 'Kung Fu Panda 3' coming out around the same time. So mark these dates and reserve the days fellows, especially for the sake of your kids.9/10

MONKEY KINGDOM (2015) ***1/2 DisneyNature's latest in its franchise of incredible cinematography captures the lives of a tribe of Indonesian based simians focusing on a single mother dubbed Mia and her newborn son, Kip facing the daily hardships of survival, foraging for food and avoiding political factions amongst its members (yep you heard me). While the scenes of the wooded jungles are truly amazing, the mother/son relationship is truly the heart beat of the film as the family makes do with what they are given and showing just how brutal life can be amongst the predators and other dangers faced. Narrated by Tina Fey with just enough comic relief particularly in the rambunctious monkeys visiting a local town and eating everything in site including the crashing of a child's birthday party (!) (Dirs: Mark Linfield and Alastair Fothergill)