Chimpanzés

While some DisneyNature documentaries are better than others, they are mostly very interesting and a common factor is that they are extremely well made. As well as having amazing animals. When it comes to the music and the narration (writing and delivery), those are the aspects where the quality has varied (mostly flawed). Saw 2012's 'Chimpanzee' for DisneyNature documentary completest sake, as well as being a great fan of nature documentaries, Disney in general and the intimate approach to the storytelling.

My thoughts on 'Chimpanzee' are very similar to those for 2014's 'Bears' and 2019's 'Penguins'. Except that it is marginally better than them. While they may look superior visually, 'Chimpanzee' is a little more successful when it comes to the narration (although that aspect is not perfect here either), which does a little better at entertaining and educating. The strengths that those two had are exactly the same pretty much though in 'Chimpanzee'.

'Chimpanzee' succeeds a lot more than it doesn't, and has more good things than bad. The best of the good things fantastic. While not the most refined looking of the DisneyNature documentaries (namely the editing), 'Chimpanzee' does wow visually. The scenery is stunning and captured colourfully on camera. The chimps also look wonderful and the way they are filmed is remarkably vivid. The music on the most part is fine, it fits well tonally and doesn't feel too overused or melodramatic. Did appreciate that some values and messaging were included, they were relatable ones and they were not laid on too thick.

Absolutely love the chimpanzees. Oscar is an adorable, very funny and rootable character, his mischievous antics were a joy to watch but it was also easy to relate to his struggles in survival. 'Chimpanzee', like 'Bears', does better than most DisneyNature documentaries on the educational aspect, where the information given was informative and illuminating. Also really loved the wide range of emotions shown by the animals, was touched by their journey and struggles, amused and charmed by their mischievous antics and inspired by how they deal with what they have to undergo. Also inspiring and honest was what was done with the values taught, which didn't come over as too preachy, and the tone doesn't feel muddled.

By all means, 'Chimpanzee' isn't perfect. The music at times is intrusive and the editing at times is rushed looking and choppy.

The aspect that left me very conflicted was the narration, not uncommon with the DisneyNature documentaries as this was always the most variable aspect. It was entertaining and educational enough generally and Tim Allen delivers it amiably. It also doesn't spill out the animals' emotions too much. However, for me there was at times too much juvenile humour, there could have been less of it (especially in the more dramatic moments) and can over-explain.

Overall, good but not great. 7/10

I work as a wildlife cameraman - but (sadly) was not involved in this film. When I watched it I realised a new bench mark has been set for these wildlife feature movies. Anyone who has worked in West Africa will agree it is one of the toughest habitats to film in - and chimps can be one of the hardest animals to follow. With that in mind, the achievement of getting a unique true story like this - one that brings us so close to the animals in every way - is quite remarkable. I don't want to put in spoilers, but the story is heartwarming and the characters so strong that you could almost believe this was animated - but it is much better than that. This is true life. A beautiful movie!

I have noticed something after seeing several of the recent Disney nature documentaries. Several of them are perfect--among the best films of their type ever made. This would include "African Lions" and "Crimson Wing". However, there also are some that instead of showing the footage and providing intelligent narration, they instead try to tell a story and often ascribe human feelings, actions and emotions on the animals. It's as if the narrator is expected to entertain the audience instead of letting the footage speak for itself. The worst of these that I've seen is "Born in China", a film whose narration is simply inane. While "Bears" isn't nearly as bad as "Born in China", its great footage is likewise often overshadowed by the occasionally dopey narration. It is quite strange that such a scientific and informative film is shackled with insipid narration at times. And, unfortunately, the same is true (though to a lesser extent) in this film, "Chimpanzee"...a film which too often favors cutesy or funny narration over accuracy and information.

"Chimpanzee" is not as visually striking as some of the Disneynature documentaries and it's because instead of having gorgeous panorama shots of the plains or lakes, it's constricted and is filmed entirely in the dense forest. After all, this is where Chimps live! And, there is still some lovely footage to be seen--particularly when an alpha male suddenly and unexpectedly becomes the foster parent for a young chimp. Great footage in this sense.

This film can be enjoyed by everyone, even with some inane narration. Much of it is because although you see chimps fight in the film, they don't show how truly nasty chimps can be. I've watched other documentaries where male chimps tear baby chimps apart and eat them....and it's pretty nauseating to watch. Fortunately, this one is murder-free! It also never mentions that chimps have very, very active sex lives...and then have it very often (though it's amazingly brief)....and again, Disney chose not to go there. So parents don't have to worry...it's pretty kid friendly and enjoyable by all.

This is the second nature documentary from Disney that I've seen, and like the other one I saw, it's a mixed bag. On the positive side, it is very well photographed, with some spectacular shots (especially on Blu- ray). It's also not boring, and there are some interesting revelations on the lives of chimpanzees and what they have to go through.

Unfortunately, at the same time this documentary has some serious flaws. Most obvious is the narration by Tim Allen, which is often very annoying and jokey. I realize that they were trying to attract kids, but I think Disney could have found a narrator that would appeal to both kids and their parents (and written better things to say.) Also, the events that we get to see sometimes come across like they were concocted in the editing room. It was not a surprise when I read other user comments here after watching the movie that gave evidence that this documentary wasn't always telling the truth as to what actually happened.

There is some good stuff here, but adults will probably have some issues with "Chimpanzee" all the same. So it's best to show it to your kids while you are out of the room doing something else.

From the people that brought you the fantastic documentary—Earth—comes a documentary cut from an entirely different cloth. Unlike Earth, Chimpanzee is able to weave a storyline by following a specific clan of chimps, giving each one a name, and following a youngster as he learns the rough life of the forest. The personal touch is brilliant and allows for a heartfelt documentary. In the end, the only problems are in the way the movie is edited and narrated.

One of the best things about Chimpanzee is the way in which it elicits empathy from the viewer. The movie focuses on features of chimpanzees that remind of us ourselves—using tools to get food, breastfeeding, and youth playing games while adults try to sleep. By the time the documentary develops a plot, you will honestly care about the characters involved. You will laugh time and time again.

You will not cry. Despite the disturbing and depressing nature of the film, everything is glazed over. This points us directly at the core problem of Chimpanzee—the narration. First off, Tim Allen wasn't the right choice. He doesn't do the inflections correctly and often speaks far too excitedly. The other major problem with the narration is the script. When Tim Allen started speaking for the Chimps, I was amused. When it continued, it became rather annoying. The narration should have been used to support the documentary—not overshadow it.

Chimpanzee was marketed as a children's film. We received the children's preshow and nothing but adolescent trailers. That is what stopped the documentary from being great. By skipping over the scenes that are too hard to watch and not diving into the real reason an Alpha Male would take in a young chimp, the documentary shortchanges itself. Earth was great because it wasn't directed at an adolescent audience. That freed the team up to build the best movie. The same was not the case for Chimpanzee.

If you enjoy documentaries, you will enjoy Chimpanzee. Although the movie does not deliver critical thoughts, it is filled with incredible visuals and an intriguing storyline. If you are not a fan of documentaries, there is no reason to see Chimpanzee. I hope this movie does not show a trend for wide release documentaries. Documentaries are beautiful when they are not dumbed down for our children.

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