Georges le petit curieux

Universal Studios and Imagine Entertainment have, in the past, co-conspired to produce two truly offensive cinematic travesties of iconic children's books: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "The Cat and the Hat". With "Curious George" I am delighted and relieved to say that in this instance tragedies do not come in threes. Simple, charming, attractively animated (by hand, with some 3D effects which blend in well), appropriate for kids, with no Seinfeldian self- consciousness or Adam Sandler-style gross-out humor, this film is near perfect.

I say near perfect because of Will Ferrell's vocal performance as The Man in the Yellow Hat (now named Ted) is a misfire. If he talked about 35% as much as he does in the film he would be just right. He's still better than in the god-awful "Bewitched" pseudo-remake. But that's a small price to pay for one of the few genuinely appropriate-for-children children's movies since the Jim Henson-era Muppet movies.

"George" succeeds where every post-Lilo and Stitch, non-Pixar Disney film has failed. Yet the finger-licking' bad, sub-Dreamworks "Chicken Little" made more money.