Spikeopath
Matthew Broderick's big smiling face booms out on the DVD cover, there's also Helen Hunt looking strangely alluring, while a small silhouette shows a man and chimp holding hands in the glow of something bright. Lovely, just lovely. Yet this is something of a bum steer considering the film is very rarely funny or sexy!Project X comes from the stable of films involving animals that are made to illicit a prescribed response from the human being. More so if you happen to be an animal lover as well. It all looks very dated while the message and thematics at work are frayed around the edges. In fact better treatments of "animal testing" films have been made both before and after Project X. But this in no way means Jonathan Kaplan's movie isn't any good, because it is. The cast are engaging, there's no demonising of the military humans and it hits all the right emotional beats of its subject matter. It just needs to be said that any expectation of a thought provoking and believable picture will only lead to disappointment.Get the tissues ready and pray for a punch the air ending, while enjoy those awesome chimps as well. 7/10
Aaron1375
Hence the problem with the movie. It kind of reminds me of another Matthew Brodderick movie "Wargames" in that it starts out as a comedy then takes a turn to another genre and the comedy does not really come back after this turn of events. It did not really hurt that film, but it really hurts this one. Just seems to me you are going to put monkeys in your movie that it should be a comedy and a comedy the family can enjoy without having to explain the darker scenes and why the film is just not funny anymore. The story starts as this pilot is caught in an embarrassing situation and his punishment is to train chimps how to fly in a secret government project. A rather pointless project that you would figure any scientist could have brought the questions Brodderick's character does in the film about said film. There are some funny things during the film's first half though nothing hysterical. Just basic monkey stuff, which kids would enjoy. Then after Brodderick witnesses the project first hand all the humor disappears and so does any reason you might want your kid to watch this film as it does become more of a drama and if they are not severely upset by the film they will be severely bored with the movie.
Chip80
I agree with Linda's comment... I've seen this movie twice, and I would love to watch it again, I just can't find it, I've look in many video stores, so I guess I'll buy it from a online stores. Anyways, this movie had a really big impact on me, when I was a kid.. it just changed my way to treat animals, and well personally I think this is one of those movies that when you watch it.. you just won't forget it. like a said a big impact, it made me reflect in how people just take advantage of too many species without caring about our environment. to finish this I've notice that there are many great classic movies that are forgotten... I remember watching DARYL another great film, hard to find too.. and well I can't think of any other. well.. I hope this comment is useful for other people! Peace!
JimSpy
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.