by MARK SLUTSKY

Curious George, as anybody who has read the books by Margret and H.A. Rey knows, is a curious little monkey. And that curiosity can be problematic; it can lead him to unwisely venture into situations dangerous or otherwise delicate, and thus that tendency of his can cause difficulties for his handler and close friend, the Man in the Yellow Hat.

But ultimately he is such a loveable little monkey that all is forgiven. And that is all you really need to know about Curious George. But if that mischievous little monkey arouses any natural curiosity or nostalgia in you, there’s Curious George, a new animated film based on his exploits and adventures.

At heart, Curious George is an origin story, re-telling the circumstances that caused the Man in the Yellow Hat to venture to Africa, which precipitated the Man’s first tentative encounter with George—an encounter that led to a deep friendship—and in turn led to George’s diaspora from Africa and subsequent encampment in New York City.

Will Ferrell, with his comforting, dad-ish cadences, appropriately voices the Man in the Yellow Hat, who, as the film begins, is a friendly tour guide at a picturesque New York museum. When the institution falls into financial straits, he inadvertently suggests a trip to Africa to retrieve a famous lost idol, and although the expedition isn’t strictly successful, he does manage to return with Curious George, who manages to run rampant in the Big City, causing mischief every which way—flustering opera singers, causing minor traffic accidents etc.

The plot manages to resolve itself somehow, and that’s about it. Curious George is colourful and very nice to look at, but unless you are under the age of eight or so, or have a very intense interest in Mr. George, you might find yourself a little distracted. Not to say that this is not an attractive and well-intentioned and very nice little movie for very nice little toddlers. It is. And that, really, is all you need to know about Curious George.

Curious George opens Friday, Feb. 10

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