Mon ami Dodger

I watched this repeatedly as a kid and caught it on the movie channel just recently. I enjoyed it just as much as back then. Yes it's a kids movie that seems to have been forgotten, what a shame! Thora Birch was perfect for the role. She plays a young girl who wants a pet but denied by her mom and step-dad (he's allergic to animal fur), who is played by Christopher McDonald. A face that brings you right back to the 90s for sure. Out of luck, a little monkey finds Eva (Thora Birch) as he has ran away from his abusive owner. She takes him in as her pet but as a secret and names him Dodger, she soon finds Dodger is a lot of work and comes with some some bad behaviour that causes her trouble. If you have kids or are a 90s kid I recommend it. It's fun, lighthearted and feels like summer.

This little girl in here (played by Thora Birch) is a little annoying because of her constant lying. However, in the end - as in most stories that dealing with people who lie all the time - she sees that the troubles she's encountered are due to those prevarications.

The monkey in here is fun to watch. It was also nice to see Mimi Rogers in a wholesome and - gasp - even more shocking: Harvey Keitel not utter a bad word. Rogers and Christopher MacDonald play too-liberal parents, discipline- wise, but otherwise this is a pretty enjoyable lightweight film that moves along at a good clip.

It's not memorable, but it's family-safe and a decent movie for the adults, too.

Forget FREE WILLY.

If you're looking for a really decent kids/animal flick that will appeal to young, old, or in-between, look no further than MONKEY TROUBLE. Thora Birch gives a fantastic performance as a little girl who wants a dog and winds up with a monkey escaping from its abusive owner (Harvey Keitel) who has trained the little critter to pick pockets and burglarize houses. The monkey takes an instant liking to the little girl, who names him Dodger, and sneaks him home. Meantime, the drunken gypsy (Keitel) will stop at nothing to get him back. It's an intelligent, well performed family classic that will appeal to just about anyone-even those who don't appreciate movies about kids and killer whales.

Rating: **** out of *****

I saw this at the dollar theater several years ago on a rainy day with my friend Andrea, who was pregnant and we wanted to see a good family movie. I'm not a big supporter of seeing monkeys as the star of films, but this was a good one. All the little girl (Thora Birch, who several years later became famous for playing the daughter in American Beauty) wanted was a pet, and the writers crafted a cute, touching story. Good performances all around.

Thora Birch made this such a wonderful movie to watch and Harvey Keitel added great substance as the villain. One of the best family friendly adventures of the 90's! Lovely morals in it too - it teaches you right from wrong in the sweetest way possible.