Chimpanzee

2012 • 78 minutes
4.6
316 reviews
74%
Tomatometer
G
Rating
Eligible
Watch in a web browser or on supported devices Learn More

About this movie

From Disneynature, the studio that brought you Earth, Oceans and African Cats, comes Chimpanzee — a remarkable story of individual triumph and family bonds. Journey deep into the African rainforest and meet Oscar, an adorable young chimp with an entertaining approach to life. The world is a playground for little Oscar and his fellow young chimps who love creating mayhem. Full of curiosity, a zest for discovery, joy and a love for mimicking others, they are some of the most extraordinary personalities in the animal kingdom. Stunning images bring you up close and personal as Oscar and his family navigate the complex territory of the forest. It's an inspiring and life-changing adventure that overflows with courage and charm. And it will capture your heart.
Rating
G

Ratings and reviews

4.6
316 reviews
Kyle Vansteelandt
March 1, 2021
Chimpanzees are one of the most intelligent creatures on the planet, and they are closely related to us humans; they share about ninety-eight in a half percent of our DNA. Just like use, chimps are omnivores (eat both plants and meat), they have complex emotions and use tools. Well, not the kind of tools that we use, but tools like twigs to catch food like insects and use rocks or tree branches to crack nuts. That has been shown in this charming documentary. Alastair Fothergill has been filming nature documentaries for BBC earth for more than a decade. He is the producer, writer, and director of this documentary film: "Chimpanzee." Not to mention that he has directed "African Cats." I love that Alastair refuses to lose sight on one family of animals for a full feature length motion picture. The incredible story of this film follows an adorable young chimp named Oscar and his family and shows us how chimpanzees take care of themselves and what the eat, how they eat, and how they behave. Freddy is the dominant male and is the head of the whole family. His appearance represents that of a masculine middle-aged man who has a lot of experience and knowledge which I find very compelling. Everything is about to change though when a formidable opponent came and terrorize the family of Oscar and Freddy; a menacing rival chimp with a robust physique named Scar. Scar has a huge army of his own that matches the vicious reputation of their leader, Scar. Scar and his mob have taken over the whole nut grove; eating all of the nuts and berries and attacking Oscar's family. Oscar eventually befriends Freddy, and Freddy became the foster parent of Oscar, and it's up to these to survive on their own as a family of two, as well as dealing with Scar and his mob. Families can experience the themes of this documentary movie like loss, learning, and companionship. Seeing the behavior of chimps and how their lifestyle goes along is very fascinating to watch and to learn about. One of the aspects in this movie that I glorify is the written commentary; It contains some fleshed-out informational facts about each chimp (character) that is in this film, like Oscar, Freddy, Isha, the rest of the family, and of course: Scar and his gang. The commentary is also very intelligent and even amusing without ever going down the path that leads to any jokes (no jokes at all) which is absolutely necessary, because this documentary film is a great example on how you make an engrossing and even funny nature movie involving anthropomorphism that does not pander down or talk down to it's audience or any family. The utterly engaging narration by Tim Allen brings the amusement to a whole new level, because of how wonderfully directed his performance is. Of course, the movie does have some wonderful cinematography, including some beautiful colors. Each close-up image within it's screenplay is pretty to look at and I find it very serene. The pleasant score by Nicholas Hooper provides theatrical emotion to enhance the dramatic mood of the film. The main song for this movie is called "That Man" by Caro Emerald is an exquisite for his movie because this jazz song has a swinging vibe to it and the lyrics has a lot to do with the behavior of Oscar and captures a few shots that come on time with the lyrics. What surprises me about this documentary is that, unlike "African Cats," this documentary has minimal intensity that is a little less strong, and the G-rating should suit this kind of age appropriate content of this movie just fine, as for the fact that this film is age appropriate for kids age 6 and up. To conclude: With quintessential commentary, amusing narration by Tim Allen, and beautiful scenery, This movie about primates that are our closest relatives is a compelling and charming home-run for Disneynature. Highly Recommended.
Did you find this helpful?
Sharon West
November 29, 2015
This movie I just love, Oscar is the most adorable little chimp I can watch this movie over and over.it's funny sad and then Joy it's a really a good movie. I give it five Star's
Did you find this helpful?
A Google user
September 8, 2012
This is a great movie! Never thought that little chimp would survive, but the turnaround is dramatic. But why would I rent from Google play? I don't think I am ever going to rent from google play again. I can't play the video through the browser of my Samsung UN46D8000 TV, I can't play it on the HP Touchpad, I can't play the movie on my desktop running Ubuntu 12.04( Firefox and Chrome). And finally I had to watch on my little Galaxy Nexus. If I had rented on Amazon, I could have watched the movie on all the above mentioned options. Great movie, but terrible watching experience for me! Maybe google should have an Samsung TV app, or an app for Webos ( impossible!) or atleast let linux users watch it on their browsers.
9 people found this review helpful
Did you find this helpful?

Rate this movie

Tell us what you think.