Watching DisneyNature’s new film “Chimpanzee” was an unexpected joy. The film’s storyline is simple yet heartwarming, and the cinematography is simply breathtaking.
The movie follows the life of an infant chip named Oscar and his mother Isha in their quest for survival in the depths of the African forest. Both are part of a pack of monkeys who seem to live in paradise; the animals’ days are consumed by looking for food, eating and sleeping. Occasionally, the young chimps in the group get to play and run around within the safety of the group.
Most of us can see the uncanny resemblance to human behavior these cute, furry mammals display in their day-to-day life, and this makes it more difficult to keep from developing a kinship with them; they are simply too adorable and they warm up to our nurturing instincts instantly!
“… Disneynature’s newest True-Life Adventure introduces Oscar, a young chimp whose playful curiosity and zest for discovery light up the African forest until a twist of fate leaves Oscar to fend for himself with a little help from an unexpected ally.”
The film incorporates Disney’s signature story-telling component, mainly that of an obstacle or enemy the protagonists have to overcome.
And I should have known better.
There were moments in this film that I allowed my emotions to get completely carried away, and this reminded me of the way some scenes in the Disney film “Bambi” made me feel — especially where the mother-child bonding moments took over my heart until something else released it from the gripping scenes.
Sitting in the darkened theater, I was also transported to a time when I was child, sitting in the comfort and safety of my family living room during our Sunday night ritual watching “The Wonderful World of Disney.”
Though the film is considered a family movie, it manages to strike a good balance by not catering to the lowest common denominator — just to the children in the audience. I was pleasantly surprised with the higher level of vocabulary delivered in a very entertaining manner by the narrator, the man of men, Tim Allen (grunt, grunt, grunt!). 
The release of the film, “Chimpanzee,” is also notable because it is timed to coincide with the yearly celebration of Earth Day April 20, 2012.
“Chimpanzee” is beautiful and captivating! Moviegoers will be treated to an incredible look into the intimate life of these human-like animals as they live and thrive in nature.
Parents and children can visit the Disney website www.disney.com/chimpanzee to learn more about the film. You can also download coloring and activity pages, lessons for homeschooling, and other interesting facts about these amazing creatures from the Jane Goodall Foundation at this special link: http://media-file.net/disney/chimpanzee/family-press-kit/.
Chimpanzee is Rated G
Runtime 1 hour 18 minutes
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Disclosure: I was invited by the studio to pre-screen this film. The opinions in this post are mine.
I enjoyed your review. I’ve heard a lot of buzz in the neighborhood around the movie. I was curious how it would play on my sappy heart strings. Thanks for the heads up. Lynnee