HTF REVIEW: "Monkey Trouble" (HTF KIDS CHOICE PICK) (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Link Removed

Monkey Trouble




Studio: New Line Cinema
Year: 1994
Rated: G
Film Length: 96 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 16X9 Enhanced Widescreen (1.85:1)
and Full Frame (1.33:1)



Eva's new friend has big eyes, hairy feet,
and very sticky fingers.
Last week New Line sent me a handful of family
movie screeners whose titles could easily be
ignored by adult audiences. Amongst the Teenage
Mutant Turtle and Hulk Hogan titles was a curious
little film called Monkey Trouble that
starred amongst its small cast, Harvey Keitel.

Monkey Trouble is about Dodger, a Capuchin
monkey who belongs to a petty criminal, Shorty
(Harvey Keitel). Dodger has been trained to steal
money, jewels, and everything else imaginable.
The monkey gets noticed by two mobsters who propose
a deal to Shorty to use his monkey for some more
elaborate crimes -- but before all this goes down,
Dodger has run away.

Enter little Eva Boylan (Thora Birch) who longs for
a pet she can call her own. But her mother,
preoccupied with caring for a toddler, thinks Eva's
too young to take full responsibility for an animal.
One day, while walking along the boardwalk, runaway
Dodger leaps into the Eva's arms. The two become
inseparable as Eva hides Dodger in her room, lying
to her parents who have forbidden her to keep any
pets in the home as of her step-father is allergic
to animals.
When Shorty finds his pick-pocketing monkey in
the arms of another owner, he devises a scheme
to steal his monkey back from the arms of the
little girl. In the process of escaping from
Shorty, Eva and Dodger both learn that crime
and lying do not pay.

This is absolutely an adorable movie starring
one an amazing little monkey (actually played
by four separate monkeys) who steals scene after
scene away from his human co-stars.
How is the transfer?
Picture quality is close to perfect. The print
is in pristine quality with no blemishes. There
is absolutely no film grain present. Colors are
the real treat here, taking on a fluorescent look
at high-intensity levels without ever becoming
oversaturated. The only problem I had was that
the picture sometimes looked too soft with a few
shots looking slightly unfocused at times. Otherwise,
this is a highly acceptable transfer.
The 5.1 digital surround mix is average. The film's
score comes across the front channels extremely
strong with nice full base that featured strong LFE
response. A rap song in the middle of the film had
my subwoofer thumping away. The rears do an adequate
job of supplying a few effect sounds such as street
traffic or a crowd at the boardwalk.
Special Features

While I do have to applaud New Line Cinema for
releasing this film WIDESCREEN and FULLSCREEN on
one DVD, I am a little upset that the menu that
allows you to pick what version you wish to watch
places the FULL SCREEN version as the top choice.
Kids who don't know any better will naturally
select this option first. In the future, it is my
hope that NEW LINE promotes WIDESCREEN as the first
choice on any of their menus.
In addition to the film's original theatrical
trailer, there is a little game called Pick
That Flick. More of a promotional tool for New
Line than anything else, this game enables kids
to study a picture still from a film and then select
the corresponding film title from a list on the right.
Silly me got my first three answers wrong.
Final Thoughts
This is a really cool film that sort of brought
out the kid in me. It was kind of neat seeing
Harvey Keitel in a different kind of role where
he wasn't muttering the "F" word every minute.
Of course, it was fun watching Dodger the monkey
steal the entire length of the film.

This is the sort of movie that will entertain
kids and parents alike. There's no objectionable
material despite its PG rating.
For family night at home, I couldn't recommend
a better film.
Release Date: September 3, 2002[/b]

 

[TonyD]

i barely remember this movie, but i'm surprised no one has commented on it yet.

 

[Rich Romero]

I DO remember this movie, but I remember hating it even as a kid. I don't know just watching that child actor for an hour and a half doesn't sound like a way to spend an afternoon (she's pretty awful).

 

[Jason Whyte]

"I don't know just watching that child actor for an hour and a half doesn't sound like a way to spend an afternoon (she's pretty awful)."
Yeah, but she's a pretty good actress now, and she's kinda cute. Oh, what's her name, it's on the tip of my tongue......
Jason

 

[MattHR]

Ron,
Just curious...was this released in an Amaray case, or the tradional snapper? I've noticed that New Line has started to release titles in Amarays (All About The Benjamins, Jason X, Jason Goes To Hell). I believe they only used Amarays in the past for a few children's titles (Little Vampires). Hopefully this is a new policy, and would leave Warner as the only studio still using the dreaded snappers.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Matt,

That's a question I can't answer as New Line
sends out test discs for review.

These are discs fresh from the replication plant
that come in a jewel case instead of the final
packaging.

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

It was kind of neat seeing
Harvey Keitel in a different kind of role where
he wasn't muttering the "F" word every minute.

You mean they didn't release the unrated director's cut?
"You f@#%!ing monkey!"

 

[KimK]

It's Thora Birch!!

 

[Jesse Skeen]

I was gonna ask if she gets naked in this (since she did in American Beauty), but that'd probably be in bad taste, so I won't

 

[rhett]

Ever since I was a kid my brothers and I have held this kid flick in high regard. It is indeed adorable and I am glad to hear the DVD is well done. This is one of the few family films I can still watch today without being bored, I definitely recommend it. Seeing Keitel playing a moronic villain just adds to the fun!

"No I didn't lost him!"

 

[Brenton]

I remember enjoying this film when I was little. I'm glad to see that New Line is putting some effort into making it a worthwhile disc.