Simply Perfect

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

This is a happy tale about the nasty Government trying to cancel research and the animals that helped in the project. Matthew Broderick is a young Air Force pilot seconded to the project who does his best to understand the animals and bonds with the chimpanzees.The chimps are being taught to fly planes, and the project seems to be about using "expendable" chimps instead of flesh and blood humans on dangerous missions. It's not surprising that the project leaders can't see the injustice of cancelling the animals with the project as there were always intended to be disposable. Shame on them. And there is the set up for the build of tension and the eventual chase sequence.Please will everyone note that chimps are NOT monkeys, they are apes. Monkeys have tails, apes do not.The humans are slaves to the system, and there is too much smoking. Naughty.

Matthew Broderick, Helen Hunt. An Air Force pilot rescues smart chimps from lab experiments at a strategic-weapons research center, but then has to figure out what to do with them.This film will break your heart, if you have a love for animals. You are introduced to the chimps (they're given CHARACTER development, if you can dig it), then you are shown what happens TO the chimps in this research center, and then you are shown what happens because of this treatment. Once you are emotionally invested in the premise, the tension of the surrounding atmosphere begins to build until the climactic crescendo.This is actually not as bad as I remembered, but not as good as I hoped, watching from a more mature perspective. The performances are typical of the time, perhaps a tad better, but this work is horribly dated, as is practically everything from that era. I wouldn't say it rates a remaking, as it's fine as it is, but someone will in order to carry a "fresh" message that what goes on in these laboratories is wrong. Eventually, we'll see posters and ad blurbs for Project NeXt or something like that.All in all, it's good for a rainy Sunday, but don't set your hopes real high, and ... in spite of the levity , heartwarming moments, and the kid-friendly ratings, this is NOT for younger (or tender) children, who could be traumatized for years by the treatment these chimps receive. It rates a 6.8/10 from...the Fiend :.

I like to consider myself a fairly sophisticated movie-goer, with a taste for the avant-garde, the off-beat, the groundbreaking - this movie was none of those - and a dislike for the saccharine or formulaic - this movie was both.And yet, I would highly recommend it to anyone.First of all, get over the fact that its billed as a family movie or chick flick or "comedy" (huh?), or that it has Matthew Broderick co-starring with monkeys. This is an extremely well-crafted film, with many of what I call "payoff scenes" - scenes that glue you to your chair, give you a thrill, or a lump in the throat, or goosebumps. For example, the scene where Bluebeard the Chimp is "flashed" in the flight chamber. The slow motion turn of the head, the look of confusion mixed with "what have you done to me?"... I defy anyone to show me a more chilling scene in any movie. Or the scene where Virgil is warning the other chimps about Bluebeard's fate. This scene alone transcends the "family comedy" genre with powerful, primal imagery.I said, get over Matthew Broderick, but I know it's difficult, as he is the film's only distraction. Sadly, he is in over his head, in this as in any film in which he is required to play someone over 18. Sorry, Matthew, you'll always be Ferris Bueller. Not such a bad fate, when you think about it...But then, there is Willie, the chimp who starred as "Virgil." Willie's performance will leave you wondering if Lee Strasberg ever admitted simians to his method acting school. (Please, no cracks about Brando) Now I'm sure the technique is to simply film the chimp for hours until he happens to do something usable, but whatever they did, whoever did it was a genius. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember that they give some kind of awards to animal actors; if so, I hope they gave one to Willie. He alone is worth the price of the DVD rental.Trust me, unless you're some kind of hard-hearted Tarantino-or-nothing type, you WILL enjoy this movie immensely.

after the initial ferris bueller movie, this is probably the second or possibly third best in the series. (glory was also quite good). this is a great film for kids around the age of 8 to 12 because it can be an intellectual exercise for them without being dragged down by intellectualizing. the movie is a warm hearted exploration of the meaning of non-human intelligence and the "sanctity of life". there is some decent supporting performances, but the show mostly belongs to the various chimps throughout the movie. each chimp manages by the end to establish a distinct character so that at the end, even though there may be several chimps on screen you can easily distinguish which one is which. watch this movie with planet of the apes. i give it a seven point three out of ten.7 out of 10