Going Ape!

This is one of the most unforgettable movies from my childhood, despite the poor reception by critics.

Bad film! Bad, bad film! Not a so-bad-it's-funny movie, just a lousy excuse to put something on celluloid. I'm not sure why this was made; maybe it was a contractual obligation. Inept in every way. How absolutely embarrassing for Devito and Danza. I'm sorry I am forced to type "ten lines" in order to have my comments posted, as this film doesn't warrant such attention. Ho, ho - nuns and monkeys, what could be funnier? Think of what Paramount could have used this money for, instead of putting out something my four-year-old nephew described as "stupid." .

I remember seeing this movie on TV as an 8 year old and found it hilarious. I mean who doesn't love Orangutans and people acting like idiots? The jokes seemed funny and everyone acted like a cartoon character. When I watched this again in my 20s I realized how horrible and unfunny it was.

The entire movie simply existed to showcase the tricks the trained apes could do. I guess in 1980 you could make an entire movie about that. But since the early 00s, you could just go on internet and see Orangutans do stupid crap. You don't need a two hour movie for it.

Tony Danza and Danny DeVito were huge stars at the time from Taxi and weren't needed in the movie. All the human characters were made to act braindead likely cause the audience for the film were 8 year olds.

Basically this is a kids' movie. Anyone over the age of 10 probably will hate it.

Jeremy Joe Kronsberg wrote and directed this comedy involving orangutans (Kronsberg also wrote Every Which Way but Loose), with Tony Danza as their keeper. Danza's father was a big star in the circus world and had left him $4,000,000, providing he can take care of the monkeys. He calls in his friend Laszlo (an uproarious Danny DeVito) to help out and also has to deal with his jealous girlfriend and her disapproving mother. The comedy is really well-done with numerous set pieces involving a food fight, a wacky climatic car chase, and a showdown at a hospital involving a slew of crooks wanting Danza's inheritance. I think of this as a old-fashioned Disney comedy, but with adult themes present.

Someone must have talked with Clyde's manager.

Whoever gave the green light for "Going Ape!" deserves to have to spend a few months in the company of orangutangs themselves. I mean, the ones who don't cut movie deals.

Danza plays a loser who has to babysit a trio of the orange apes and his cousin Lazlo (DeVito) in order to gain a hefty inheritance. Of course, there are forces conspiring against him.

Basically, this is just an excuse for seeing orangutangs do their stuff, and they indeed do stuff. Unfortunately, they have to involve humans in the act, too. Everyone looks pretty much embarrassed to be in this flick and who can blame them? I'm embarrassed to admit that I've seen it.

But, is "Going Ape!" worth seeing? Sure, if it's a slow night at the zoo.

But for those of us on the other side of the monkey bars....

One star. You want to see funny monkeys, watch C-SPAN.