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82492
George of the Jungle
(1997)
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Stars: Brendan Fraser Leslie Mann Thomas Haden Church Richard Roundtree Greg Cruttwell
Director: Sam Weisman
Writer: Dana Olsen, Jay Ward
Language: English
Studio: Buena Vista
Duration: 0
Rated: PG
DVD Release: March 2004

Disney scored an unexpected hit with this goofy live-action remake of Jay Ward's Saturday-morning cartoon, a zippy Tarzan parody with topical references and absurd gags. Disney's big-screen version, starring Brendan Fraser as the sweet, hopelessly inept jungle hero, puts the emphasis on slapstick and silly fun. The klutzy hero, still swinging into trees and stray boulders, saves a lost L.A. socialite (Leslie Mann) on safari and, completely smitten, leaves behind his tree-house home and simian best friend (an Oxford-accented ape voiced by John Cleese) to accompany the socialite back to the concrete jungle of LA, much to the frustration of her conniving fiancé (Thomas Haden Church). Fraser's enthusiastic performance enriches our hunky hero with endearing innocence and energetic pluck. The humor is spotty and consistently more juvenile than the original cartoon, but the unending parade of visual gags (including George's pet elephant Shep, transformed into an overexcited six-ton puppy by inventive digital effects) keeps the tone light, frothy, and winningly fun. --Sean Axmaker


Brendan Fraser Leslie Mann Thomas Haden Church Richard Roundtree Greg Cruttwell
Brendan FraserGeorge of the Jungle
Leslie MannUrsula Stanhope
Thomas Haden ChurchLyle Van de Groot
John CleeseAn Ape Named 'Ape'
Richard RoundtreeKwame, Traveling Sidekick
Greg CruttwellMax, Van de Groot's Sidekick Thug
Abraham BenrubiThor, Van de Groot's Sidekick Thug
Holland TaylorBeatrice Stanhope, Ursula's Mom
Kelly MillerBetsy
John Bennett PerryArthur Stanhope, Ursula's Dad
Michael ChinyamurindiN'Dugo
Abdoulaye NGomKip
Lydell M. CheshierBaleto (as Lydell Cheshier)
Keith ScottNarrator (voice)
Spencer GarrettMale Guest at Party
Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy, Kids & Family
Media: VHS
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
IMDb: 0119190