Au royaume des singes

Monkey Kingdom

The best thing about being a part of an ape empire is that you can rest assure that your children will never have lice for long.

In fact, grooming one another is only one of the odd practices featured in this simian documentary.

When female toque macaque Maya migrates to the remains of an antediluvian jungle temple in Sri Lanka called Castle Rock, she learns quickly that the roost is ruled over by alpha macaque Raja and three sister monkeys.

Banished to the bottom of the food chain, Maya must now struggle to feed her newborn Kip, whose father Kumar has since flown the coop.

Painstakingly captured on-camera by Disneynature's intrepid film crew and wittily narrated by Tina Fey, Monkey Kingdom is a comical and captivating look at the social disorder of our distant cousins.

In fact, any more poop flinging and this could pass as a reality TV show.

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It's almost required to see a Disneynature film with a friend or somebody you know will be an active partner during the film rather than a passive observer. Part of the fun of these films is what you bring to them in addition to what they bring to you. This is why, despite someone who prefers attending films alone, I have made it an annual tradition to go with a close friend of mine, as it turns into a quirky trip of her and I quietly voicing our own commentary during these films. They are almost throwbacks to what cinema originated as, a very involved, interactive medium that allowed for human curiosity (logic being defied, illusionist principles being explored, etc) to run wild. The Disneynature line of films are some of the last remaining films that cater to our fascination with the world around us.

"Monkey Kingdom" is the studio's offering for Earth Day 2015, and it comes stamped with a brief introduction that discusses how Disneynature is more than a film company, but an impacting organization that functions on a global scale. Frequent theatergoers hear how Disneynature donates all or most of their films' opening weekend revenue to getting global projects off the ground, and we go through one-by-one how the six previous films impacted something around the world.

Shortly thereafter, we settle into our environment for "Monkey Kingdom:" the jungles of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka, where we are greeted with Maya, a macaque monkey who resides in the tumultuous community of monkeys. We instantly see that the monkeys have created a class system amongst themselves, with one monkey named Raja assuming the alpha male role and many others having to work their way up the system, or humbly reside at the bottom, in order to enjoy special privileges. Maya is lower on the totem pole, usually the last to garner a meal and the literal doormat for many monkeys around her. Her life becomes more both more rewarding and stressful when she welcomes Kip into her family, her newborn son.

Maya's home is soon overrun by a new tribe of monkeys, who are abusive and determined to command the land, leading her, Kip, and countless other primates to seek shelter somewhere else. This leads to a trip through deep jungles and neighboring villages to try and find a new place to call home.

Unsurprisingly, "Monkey Kingdom" is absolutely evocative in its photography. Directors Mark Linfield and Alastair Fothergill (who worked on last year's "Bears," the only other Disneynature film I've seen) beautifully capture the land of Sri Lanka, never minimizing its natural beauty. The closeup shots of the monkeys, in addition, are especially lovely, as we see the true features that make up the macaque species and the playfulness that inevitably ensues.

But the real treat here is seeing how the life and system of monkeys isn't so different from the way that human beings are governed - by a strict ruling class that leads on fear and the enforcement of conformity costs. This is the part of the monkey environment that may destroy the fantasies of children who think being a monkey is "all fun and games," as Tina Fey, our narrator, puts it.

One must remember that when they see a Disneynature film, they are seeing a piece of entertainment and not a formal nature documentary; one can see plenty of those on Television for free. "Monkey Kingdom" shows us a surprisingly different life to a species of animals many of us probably think we know pretty well, and in that sense, Disneynature has, yet again, done its job.

Pop music was really annoying and not appropriate. Narration a little overdone. Documentary would have been enjoyable and rated higher if not for these two factors. Some scenes seem obviously staged but overall, beautiful visuals and an intimate view into the animal world.

Previous to this documentary, I had seen several of the other animal documentaries by Disneynature, and I thought they were pretty good. However, this time around things don't work out so well. It's not an awful movie; there are some good things to be found here and there. The Sri Lankan scenery is colorful and attractive to the eye. The photography is also well done (see this movie, if you must, on Blu- ray!). And you do get to learn some interesting things about the particular kind of monkeys the movie showcases.

However, while the previous Disneynature movies were presented in a way that adults could enjoy them alongside their kids, this is not the case this time. There is an often juvenile feeling to this documentary. The Tina Fey narration is quite often cloying and childish, and several times the mood is spoiled by the soundtrack playing loud pop songs. Just as big of a problem is the direction at times. It's clear that several situations are staged and manipulated by the filmmakers. This might have been because there isn't that much story or drama elsewhere. Even though the movie runs about 81 minutes, it sure feels slow at times.

There have been much worse documentaries out there, but in the end this particular one is strictly kids stuff. It will entertain your kids (at least if they are in a patient mood at the time), but if you want to watch a documentary with your kids, pick one of the other Disneynature offerings.

Summary: A nature documentary that follows a newborn monkey and its mother as they struggle to survive within the competitive social hierarchy of the monkey kingdom, a dynamic group of monkeys who live in ancient ruins found deep in the storied jungles of South Asia.

This is a great nature documentary to buy for your kids.They show you the playful and human side of this group of monkeys and it's all narrated by a female voice actor who has a warm and gentle voice. The documentary has a very story-telling feel to it that I'm sure your kids will love. Do be careful though, there are deaths in this documentary. It kind of surprised me at first that they would put that scene in this movie, but in the end it kind of made sense. It was done in a respectful way to show the viewers what it was like in the monkey kingdom. They cover all the basis and provided some great shots of the environment around them. Overall, very informative and children friendly documentary.