Chimpanzee

2012 "For Oscar, every day is an adventure"
7.1| 1h18m| G| en| More Info
Released: 20 April 2012 Released
Producted By: Disneynature
Country: France
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

A nature documentary centered on a family of chimps living in the Ivory Coast and Ugandan rain forests.

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Cast

Tim Allen

Director

Producted By

Disneynature

Trailers & Images

Reviews

classicsoncall Exceptional cinematography of chimpanzees in their natural element is the principal draw for this documentary styled film. All throughout however I felt the story line was manufactured and didn't find it all that credible. I didn't realize it was Tim Allen narrating until I read about it here; his low key manner didn't quite click with this viewer, and in hindsight, the scenes of chimps using 'tools' to crack nut shells might have been better handled by his 'Home Improvement' partner Richard Karn. There were a couple instances that I thought might not be appropriate for young kids, the death of Oscar's mother was handled well enough but some youngsters might not take the news too favorably. The chimps hunting monkeys for food was another, that was a new one on me. I never would have guessed chimpanzees could be meat eaters so you learn something new everyday, though I can't say I'm the better for it now that I know. I haven't seen that many wildlife documentaries to make a comparison, this one was okay as far as it goes, but it didn't have me going 'Wow'.
Python Hyena Chimpanzee (2012): Dir: Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield / Narrator: Tim Allen: The best Disney Nature documentary since Earth, and presents an opportunity to highlight wildlife that is threatened due to poaching and habitat loss. It begins with stunning shots of African jungle including heavy fog blanketing the trees in the morning. It regards a clan of thirty plus chimps but focuses on Oscar, a curious baby chimp who depends on his mother. One of the strength of the film is how viewers can relate to much of what these creatures are dealing with. Oscar observes as his mother uses rocks to crack nuts, but often his attempts lead to some of the film's amusing moments. Another interesting moment arrives when they bend smalls branches to form a bed. Suspense occurs when a band of rival chimps invade, led by Scar. If memory serves correctly, that was the name of one of the lions in African Cats as well. Perhaps it is a popular name amongst wildlife as oppose to Bill, Tim or Satan. Oscar's mother becomes injured during one of these raids and they become separated. This leads to Oscar's mother becoming fast food to a leopard. Oscar is pretty much rejected from other female chimps but finds refuge in the most unlikely place. The leader, Freddy adopts him. With this responsibility he also must be watchful of Scar. That isn't all roses either since Scar is under threat by rivals who wish to replace him as leader as well as the ever looming presence of leopards. The jungle photography is stunning and backs up a message of motherhood, bonding, friendship, and companionship in the unlikeliest places. Score: 10 / 10
Larry Silverstein This is the story of the baby chimp Oscar, and his clan of 35 monkeys , as they struggle to survive in the jungle forest. It contains truly incredible nature photography of the clan as they interact with each other, search for food, use tools when needed, and protect themselves from neighboring monkey troops.At first, I thought the story was fabricated and edited to where Disney wanted to go with the film. But when you see the filmmakers and what they went through to get the amazing close-up shots that they did I realized that was not the case. I believe this was the same crew that filmed "African Cats" which was another spectacular documentary.Without disclosing too much of the plot, let's just say a dramatic event happens to Oscar during the film, and what happens thereafter is stunning and I'm sure extremely unusual.Tim Allen narrated the film in a very lighthearted way. From what I've read this hampered the film for some, but for whatever reason it didn't bother me.
mekane I walked into this movie not knowing what to expect. I am more of a "serious" moviegoer, and I generally don't see films geared towards children. I would describe this movie as half brilliant documentary and half cheesy kids movie.I had issues with the color timing in parts, which made the film look almost animated and artificial. I wasn't quite sure what to believe was natural footage and what was some sort of staged animal wrangling or CGI. As the movie progressed it became pretty clear that it was all authentic, but Tim Allen's narration combined with the almost-too-convenient dramatic story arc still kept me at arm's length.Ultimately this movie delivers a touching story of a young primate and his tribe. Though somewhat contrived at times there are many, many moments of genuine intimacy that tug the heartstrings and also make you wonder how in the world they got these shots. Thankfully there's a bit of explanation at the end.Do I regret seeing it? Not at all. Do I wish it had been made as a more traditional documentary? Yes.