Why be subtle, when a half-naked bloke swinging into a tree is so funny?

GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE

Total Film Magazine
by Emma Cochrane
January 1998


What's the story? A plane crashes into a mountain in deepest Africa. Baby George is left behind to be raised by apes. Twenty-seven years later he is discovered by debutante Ursula Stanhope (who finds him somewhat attractive) and her fiancé Lyle Van De Groot (who doesn't). Ursula takes George back with her to San Francisco to meet her less than ecstatic family. But then his jungle friends run into trouble.

Let's be honest: this Tarzan spoof, based on the Ô60s cartoon of the same name, and starring the bloke who was in "California Man" (along with an ape called Ape), doesn't sound like the hot ticket for the festive season. But these strange ingredients are exactly why "George of the Jungle" is such a pleasant surprise.

The film's animated opening titles quickly dispense with the background story - the plane crash, boy grows up wearing a loincloth (or "butt flap") - before introducing George's gimmick of always smacking into a tree during his daily vine swinging. Having the hero regularly slam into stationary objects was a big feature of the original cartoon, as was the tongue-in-cheek narration. Both are nostalgically recycled in live-action mode here, as part of a script that pelts the cynical viewer with a non-stop hail of gags, laughs and slapstick humour. Try as you might, you can't help chuckling.

It helps enormously that George (Brendan Fraser) makes an attractively gormless hero, and his heiress heroine (Mann) matches him gamely in the looks and brain cell stakes. But it's the animals, the jokes and the stunts that steal the show. There's an elephant called Shep, who boasts all the characteristics of a dog (it could probably lick its own balls, but this is a kids' film). A toucan called Tookie-Tookie acts as a messenger, summoning George to help out with jungle unrest, such as simian bullies picking on a smaller monkey. Then there's the ape named Ape, voiced with scene-stealing wit by John Cleese. And for once, the fact that half the animals are the product of animatronics and CGI doesn't jar.

The stunts are surprisingly daring (one breathtaking rescue sequence takes place on the Golden Gate Bridge), and the jokes (even those involving farts) will have you rocking in your seat with laughter. Occasionally, the pace slows but never for long. There's always another big, blundery gag that comes along and treads squarely on your funny bone.

It's all great family entertainment. The kids at the "Total Film" screening were dancing in the aisles to the catchy theme tune (by The Presidents of the USA, no less), and even the adults enjoyed themselves (even if they were trying to hid it). If you need an excuse, borrow someone's sprogs for the afternoon and push them into a cinema. You won't regret it.

Final Verdict: Once again Disney comes up trumps in the family fun department. "George of the Jungle" is the funniest movie you'll see this Christmas. Yes, it's an incessant rush of slapstick gags and farcical comedy, but you don't have to be a kid to enjoy it.

Swinging: 7 out of 10.

Comedy Spoof, USA, 1997
Director: Sam Weisman
Distributor: Buena Vista International
Production Companies: Walt Disney, Mandeville Prods
Producers: Lou Arkoff, Terry Austin, Jon Avnet, David Hoberman, Jordan Kerner
Screenplay: Dana Olsen, Audrey Wells
Running Time: 93 mins
Release: 19 December

The Cast:

George: Brendan Fraser
Ursula Stanhope: Leslie Mann
Lyle Van De Groot: Thomas Haden Church
Kwame: Richard Roundtree
Ape (voice of): John Cleese
Max: Greg Cruttwell