Matthew O’Callaghan’s animated family film begins serenely enough: A monkey with creepily human features makes mischief in the jungle to the pleasant tones of a Jack Johnson soundtrack. Unfortunately, that scene doesn’t last long. In this adaptation based on the classic books by H.A. Rey, the Man with the Yellow Hat, a New York City museum curator named Ted (voiced by Will Farrell), travels to Africa in search of a giant idol, only to bring home a destructive, but charming primate, the titular Curious George. George is a refreshing departure from the ultra-literal CGI effects as seen in recent popular animated features — this is more old-school Disney than modern-day Pixar. The kindergarten set will enjoy the insanely bright colors and adorable, doe-eyed characters, but anyone over the age of 7 will probably find both equally annoying. (AW)

This article appears in Feb 16-22, 2006.