Chimpanzee parents guide

Chimpanzee Parent Guide

Narration by Tim Allen along with beautiful cinematography, strong editing and a musical score used as storytelling devices will keep most audience members captivated for the 79 minute run-time.

Overall A

This Disneynature documentary tells the story of an orphaned chimpanzee named Oscar and those he bonds with in order to survive in the wilds of Africa.

Release date April 20, 2012

Violence B-
Sexual Content A
Profanity A
Substance Use A

Why is Chimpanzee rated G? The MPAA rated Chimpanzee G

Run Time: 79 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Right on cue, Disneynature releases another movie for Earth Day—a feat that would be even more impressive if they could find a way to lessen the environmental impact of the garbage created at the movie’s screenings.

This time the subject matter is a little chimpanzee named Oscar who lives with his mother and their troop in the Taï National Park in the Ivory Coast. While many of the studio’s past movies (Earth, Oceans and African Cats) are masterful feats of cinematography, Chimpanzee introduces an unbelievably charming main character. Watching him learn to crack nuts, climb trees and retrieve bugs out of an old log for his dinner reminds viewers of a human infant’s antics. But that should come as no surprise. According to the Jane Goodall Institute, humans and chimpanzees share 95 to 98 percent of the same DNA, making chimps more closely related biologically to humans than gorillas.

As the credits roll, audiences get a glimpse of the challenges the directors, Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, and their camera crew endured to capture hours of intimate and up-close footage of the animals in a natural setting. The resulting documentary is an educational peek into the everyday interactions of the chimpanzees. But according to Fothergill, the project was not without surprises for the filmmakers (check video below)...

For families with young children, the moviemakers have artfully concealed the harshest realities of animals in the wild. (The stalking and killing of a monkey for dinner as well as other moments of death and peril are mitigated by brevity and the angle of the camera shots.) Still the death of Oscar’s mother like so many other Disney orphan stories may be disturbing for some children. Luckily, as with any fairytale, this film manages a happy ending thanks to the most unexpected occurrence.

Narration by Tim Allen along with beautiful cinematography, strong editing and a musical score used as storytelling devices will keep most audience members captivated for the 79 minute run-time. And with a portion of the opening weekend proceeds ($.20 per ticket) going to the Jane Goodall Institute, the studio helps audiences make a modest contribution to the survival of the animals on screen.

Directed by Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield . Starring Tim Allen. Running time: 79 minutes. Theatrical release April 20, 2012. Updated

Chimpanzee
Rating & Content Info

Why is Chimpanzee rated G? Chimpanzee is rated G by the MPAA

Violence: Characters experience moments of peril. Depictions of chimpanzees hunting prey are brief and show few details. A young character is orphaned.

Sexual Content: Brief moments of affection are shown between animals.

Language: None noted.

Alcohol / Drug Use: None noted.

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Chimpanzee Parents' Guide

Do films such as this one give audiences a better understanding of the animals or environments that are depicted? Can this kind of knowledge help contribute to the protection and preservation of endangered species or habitats?

What similarities did you find between Oscar and human babies? How do the animals use tools to help them in their everyday activities? Are there other creatures that also use tools?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Chimpanzee movie is August 21, 2012. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Chimpanzee

Release Date:  21 August 2012

Chimpanzee releases to home video in a Blu-ray/DVd Combo Pack, with the following extras:

- Behind-the-scenes footage showcasing the filmmakers efforts to document the making of the film.

- A feature on Disney’s conservation legacy

- Music video: Rise by the McClain Sisters

Related home video titles:

An inquisitive monkey charms audiences in Curious George. Another orphan finds a caring family among primates in the animated film Tarzan. Disneynature follows other animal families in African Cats, Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos and Oceans.

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