What could be cuter than a talking monkey? A film where the CGI of the monkey’s mouth is perfect and the monkey is a comedian, that’s what!
Monty is many things, a precocious actor, spokesperson and… a talking Capuchin Monkey! He’s the face of the energy drink, ‘Monkey Up’. That’s not enough for Monty though. He dreams of becoming the first award-winning monkey movie star.
The owner of Monkey Up has other plans for Monty however, and the chase is on! Monty escapes with the help of his new family, the Andrews, and his hilarious brothers and sister. Mort, Mooner, and Melody in a hysterical chase that proves Monty really is the ‘fast and the furriest’.
Together they help Monty discover that fame and fortune are transient, but family is forever!
I’m a sucker for kids’ movies and this one kept me thoroughly entertained from start to finish. It is full of visual gags (especially the monkey poop) and has a clever script that will appeal to adults and children alike.
The cast list is impressive – Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect), John Ratzenberger (Cheers), Caleb Burgess (Better Call Saul), Erin Allin O’Reilly (Dumb & Dumber 2), and none other than Crystal the Monkey (Night at the Museum).
As good as the whole cast is, it is Crystal the Monkey who is the real star. Her acting is so realistic you would be forgiven for thinking that Monty was computer generated. Thomas Gunderson and Tony C Suffredini deserve a lot of the credit for Crystal and her Capuchin family. Their skills as trainers are amazing. I have never seen monkeys perform so well.
Monkey Up is a clever family movie. There is only one message (that family is forever) but this is never preached, it just unfolds. It is well paced and at 83 minutes, not too long. It is best enjoyed if you forget you are an adult and allow your inner child to take over!
Reviewed by Barry Hill
Twitter: @kinesguy
Rating out of 10: 8
Monkey Up will be released on DVD on 22 June 2016.
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