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Curious George
Stars: (Voices) Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, Eugene Levy, Dick Van Dyke, Joan Plowright, Frank Welker
Director: Matthew O'Callaghan
A feeble cartoon feature that gives its distinguished voice cast little chance to create any colourful characters.
Museum lecturer Ted - the Man with the Yellow Hat in the source books by H A Rey - goes to Africa in search of a legendary idol. He returns only with Curious George, a monkey who, being, well, a monkey, gets up to all kinds of scrapes to land Ted in continual trouble - to the delight of a scheming rival.
'This is beyond bad,' gasps Ted (Will Ferrell) at one point, and he's right. It will send adults straight to sleep, although very young children may be tolerably entertained.
The familiar rumbling tones of Dick Van Dyke stir up vague memories of Mary Poppins, but there's no jolly holiday here.
David Quinlan
USA 2006. UK Distributor: UIP (Universal). Technicolor.
87 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: U.
Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.
Review date: 30 Jul 2006