Curious George (film)
Curious George | |
---|---|
Directed by | Matthew O'Callaghan |
Written by | Robert L. Baird Dan Gerson Karey Kirkpatrick Michael McCullers Clare Sella Joe Stillman |
Produced by | Ron Howard David Kirschner Bonne Radford Jon Shapiro |
Starring | Will Ferrell Drew Barrymore David Cross Eugene Levy Joan Plowright Dick Van Dyke Ed O'Ross Frank Welker |
Music by | Heitor Pereira (music) Jack Johnson (songs) |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures Imagine Entertainment |
Release dates | February 10, 2006 |
Running time | 90 minutes |
Language | English |
Template:Infobox Film rating Curious George is an animated film version of the classic children's stories by H.A. and Margret Rey. It was released in the U.S. on February 10, 2006. Will Ferrell voices Ted, the Man in the Yellow Hat. Matthew O'Callaghan directed (after replacing Jun Falkenstein). This project had been in development at Imagine Entertainment for a long time, dating back at least as long ago as 1992 (and possibly many years before this). The screenplay was written by Michael McCullers, Daniel Gerson, Rob Baird, Joe Stillman and Karey Kirkpatrick.
Plot
Template:Spoilers While visiting Africa, Ted (Will Ferrell) who wears a yellow hat accidentally adopts a clumsy and mischievous (as well as curious!), chimpanzee named George, bringing him back to America to live with him. Ted soon discovers that George, as adorable as he is most of the time, can be a real handful when the Man turns his back or leaves the house, as George's curiosity causes him to get into a series of predicaments and shenanigans.
Difference between the film and original books
In the books, the Man with the Yellow Hat does not have a first name, nor does he have any kind of love interest. The original books focus solely on George's misadventures, and the Man getting him out of trouble.
Characters
- Ted (The Man in the Yellow Hat) - Ted is a museum employee who is sent to find the Lost Shrine of Zagawa. While buying clothes for the expedition, the store only had a yellow suit available, explaining how he is often known as The Man in the Yellow Hat. He is the only one who finds George, and at the end of the movie, becomes his owner.
- Maggie - Maggie is a teacher that brings her students to the Bloomsberry museum every week because she has a crush on Ted. She appears in various scenes in the movie and it is obvious Ted has a crush on her too.
- Mr. Bloomsberry - The kind old owner of the museum, Mr. Bloomsberry runs into trouble when his son wants to turn the museum in a parking lot. He sends Ted to Africa so he can find the Lost Shrine of Zagawa hopefully bringing attractions to save the museum. He appears every once in a while in the film.
- Mr. Bloomsberry, Jr. - Junior is Mr. Bloomsberry's rotten son who wants to turn the museum into a parking lot for money, and also serves as the chief villain of the film. He ruins a plan to save the museum, and gives George coffee! Junior appears a few times in the film.
- Clovis - Clovis is a museum employee who is a wacky scientist. He is a little annoying, but very smart. He has robotic animals to help him. He appears twice in the film.
- Ms. Plushbottom - A neighbor of Ted's at his apartment builidng, Ms. Plushbottom is an opera singer about to do a room makeover with paint. However, the paint is so messy Goerge can't resist to play with it. She appears in one big part, and a little at the end.
- Ivan - Ivan is the doorholder at Ted's apartment building who hates pets and doesn't allow them. But when George finds his way to Ted's apartment, Ivan gets curious and tries to sniff him out, but fails. He appears three times in the film, but shorter appearances as Clovis.
- Curious George - George is a monkey (actually a chimpanzee but known as a monkey) living in Africa with his friends. One day he meets Ted and goes back to New York City with him, and causes a lot of problems but fixes some too. He becomes Ted's pet at the end.
Box office
As of April 28, 2006, the film grossed $58.3 million in the United States.
Voices
- Will Ferrell - Ted (The Man in the Yellow Hat)
- Drew Barrymore - Maggie
- David Cross - Mr. Bloomsberry, Jr.
- Eugene Levy - Clovis
- Joan Plowright - Miss Plushbottom
- Dick Van Dyke - Mr. Bloomsberry
- Ed O'Ross - Ivan
- Frank Welker - Curious George
Technical data
- Title: Curious George
- Directed by: Matthew O'Callaghan
- Written by: Robert L. Baird, Dan Gerson, Karey Kirkpatrick, Michael McCullers, Clare Sella, and Joe Stillman
- Music by: Jack Johnson (songs) and Heitor Pereira
- Released on: February 10, 2006
- American picture
- Specifications: Technicolor, 35 mm 1.85:1 (color, Dolby digital sound)
- Genre: Animation, fantasy, comedy
- Runtime: 86 minutes
- MPAA Rating: G
International ratings
- USA: G
- Canada: G (Ontario)
- Canada: G (all jurisdictions)
- Ireland: G
- UK: U
- Netherlands: AL
- Australia: G
Trivia
- The boat to Africa is named H.A. Rey, the name of the original artist for the Curious George books.
- The 4½-minute Land Before Time music video, "Flip, Flap, and Fly", the song for the upcoming direct-to-video film, The Land Before Time XII: The Day of the Flyers (slated for a 2007 release), was limitedly featured before the theatrical release of the film.
- This was the first G-rated film released theatrically by Universal Pictures since 1995's Balto.
- This was Imagine Entertainment's first animated (and first G-rated) film.
- When Ted, the Man in the Yellow Hat, accidentally fell into the igloo, where the penguins live in the zoo, The Blue Danube was featured.
- This film was originally planned for release in November 2005, but got pushed back to February 10, 2006, probably a push-back to avoid competition with Chicken Little, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Zathura.
Soundtrack
Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George, the soundtrack to the film by Jack Johnson, On its first week on Billboard 100 Charts, It made it to No. 1 making it Jack Johnson's first shot at No. 1 (In Between Dreams: No. 2, On and On: No. 3) and making it the first soundtrack to make it to No. 1 since the Bad Boys II soundtrack in August 2003 and the first soundtrack to an animated film to top The Billboard 200 since Pocahontas reigned for one week in July 1995.
Sequels
- Curious George 2, a direct-to-video animated movie starring the voices of Will Ferrell as Ted, Michael Keaton, Dennis Hopper, Susan Sarandon and Michael J. Fox coming in December 27, 2007 from Universal Animation Studios.
- The movie will be adapted into a PBS Kids animated television series, also called Curious George.