Curious George DVD: Review By jimmykeown

Most movies with previous history tend to build upon topics and offer completely new and interesting ways of portraying such subject matter. Yes, this is the first motion picture regarding Curious George, but if you've read the books you're not going to find anything new. But right when I thought this was going to be just another "Disney" style cartoon, I realized that Curious George was something different. The artwork is interestingly simple, but bright and different. The movie is an excellent step for the life of Curious George and is a definite boost for its credentials.

There wasn't a single period during the whole movie that I wasn't somewhat entertained either by suspense of George's actions, or the humor of the story. This is one of the first cartoons I've seen in a long time, but Curious George is still effective. Maybe it's the fact that there are some aspects of humor that adults can relate to as well. Curious George is one of those movies that you pop in when you're having a bad day and you need something to help cheer you up.

I now realize that you don't always have to be a kid to enjoy cartoons. For many adults this movie will be an excellent follow up to the childhood favorite. I remember going through the pages of Curious George as a kid with my parents and discovering the friendship of The Man in the Yellow Hat(Ted), and George. To be able to follow them through their big city and jungle adventures was refreshing and memorable. Will Ferrell does an excellent job as the voice for Ted and adds humor to a somewhat dry book character. The soundtrack, fueled by some Jack Johnson, is one of the best aspects of the movie. The easy listening acoustic style adds a lot to the presentation of the story.

The story of Curious George is about an adventure gone wrong, but follows the memorable antics of George and how he tends to give all the answers. George is the catalyst for success as Ted struggles to help the museum survive during financial troubles. When they thought they've lost it, Ted and George begin to unravel the mystery and have a lot of fun in the process. Kids will really enjoy the exciting adventure, as well as the great lessons of friendship. If you're a cartoon fan, then Curious George will be an excellent addition to any collection. The movie is a revival for what I thought was a lost cartoon.

The special features on this DVD are amazing. I have seen nothing like this before, other than Criterion editions. Mostly the extras are geared towards kids, but I could keep myself entertained all day with 15 deleted scenes, tons of games, a behind the pen look at how to draw George and a "Monkey to Motion" featurette. Kids will find the neverending games an excellent way to spend quality time following the feature. In one of the extras you can actually learn to draw George, which is an awesome touch to any cartoon. Most of the games and activities are used to build upon the learning process of children, so parents, let your kids play these games with no worry.

If I had these types of extras as a child, watching cartoons would have been the equivalence of Disney World.

The DVD picture is very unique and bright. The colors are somewhat saturated at times, but the cartoon is unique and fun to watch. It is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1).

The audio quality is excellent, especially the fact that it's backed by Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore and Jack Johnson. The soundtrack is my favorite part of the DVD and is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1.

The packaging is like any normal DVD. The box is white and contains a huge graphic of George and Ted on the front. On the inside is a small booklet with some deals and additional materials for more Curious George fun.

Curious George is the rebirth of a heartwarming tale of The Man in The Yellow Hat and George. The movie will either spark an interest and love for the duo or bring back great memories of the mischevious tales only seen in books. Every individual has a child inside that will be able to relate to the great times and amazing life lessons this movie has to offer.