George of the Jungle

Swinging right from an animated television series and onto the big screen is the story of the lone survivor of a plane crash in the heart of the African jungle. Aptly named the King of the Jungle, George is raised by gorillas and grew up only among his animal friends into a buff and good-hearted but not very bright human specimen. Among them are Shep, a lively elephant that thinks it's a dog, and Ape, who is, in fact, an ape who happens to possess the characteristics of a human Brit. Life in the jungle is peaceful and disturbed only by the occasional animal disputes that are settled by George and his negotiating ways, but all this changes when circumstances end up with George saving Ursula, an American heiress and socialite, when a safari takes a precarious turn.

Now, one must realize that this is the first time George has ever seen a woman, and as soon as Ursula got over the utter disbelief of being faced with a talking ape, a man in a loincloth, and a tree house that seems to be inhabited by animals which seem to smart to be real, she and George spend quality jungle time together. Before long, George begins to fall in love with her, though he doesn't really understand what's happening with his heart.

Another twist comes in the form of Ursula's pathetic but impressionable fiance Lyle, who has been searching for her while she's in the Jungle King's lair, finally finding her. He ends up shooting George, who he thought was some form of a monstrous White Gorilla, which lands him in jail and George being flown to the USA by Ursula to receive proper medical treatment.

Other misadventures come their way as George tries to settle into city life, Ursula realizes that she actually wanna marry Lyle since she's in love with George, prompting parental disapproval, and Lyle is now out for vengeance on the King of the Jungle that seemed to have stolen everything from him, but perhaps things will work themselves out in the end. George is just lucky, we all guess.

Though harsher critics who prefer thought-provoking dramas over mindless comedy may not like this film, those who are simply looking for something to brighten their day will find it in George of the Jungle. There are countless moments that would just make you laugh without effort, like the infamous "Watch out for that tree!" gag and the cast's sincere acting (specifically Brendan Fraser as George, Thomas Hayden Church as Lyle, Leslie Mann as Ursula, and John Cleese as Ape's voice) is compelling and honestly hilarious. The plot, though seemingly silly, conveys its deeper messages about human relationships and emotions well while at the same time making audiences laugh, its number one goal, and the CGI effects just work in the context of the film.

All in all, if you're looking for an honest-to-goodness, genuinely funny film that involves talking animals and men walking around in loincloths, George of the Jungle is the one you need to go and see.