I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a big fan of these Disney nature documentaries, but this might be my least favorite out of the crop that I’ve seen. It’s a definite comedown after last year’s “Bears” which was the best of the ones I’ve seen and just an all-around good documentary based around compelling “characters” you sincerely rooted for.
What Works: Tina Fey’s voiceover narration is solid, the breakdown of the monkey’s hierarchy is interesting (who knew monkeys had a caste system and a royal court?), and the scenery is lush—if a tad repetitive. And I particularly liked the scenes of the monkeys making their way in the nearest big city, as an allegory for urban migration and people trying to “make it” with better opportunities.
What Doesn’t: Whereas in “African Cats” and particularly “Bears” you had a great narrative and characters it’s impossible not to sympathize with (in their life-or-death struggles), “Monkey Kingdom” is based around a bunch of ass-ugly monkeys that might be some of the ugliest creatures I’ve ever seen. It’s particularly puzzling since Disney already made a (superior) monkey story with “Chimpanzees” and those monkeys didn’t look like the stuff nightmares are made out of. You can’t help but sit in a theater playing “Monkey Kingdom” and not think that some of the smaller children are going to be haunted by the angry, shriveled-up red faces of a bunch of albino looking monkeys. And the story itself seems pretty thin this time out, nothing like the dramatic stakes of previous Disney Nature outings. Even the scenery didn’t feel as awe-inspiring as the Saharan plains of “African Cats” or the Alaskan wilderness of “Bears.”
What I Would Have Done Differently: If you want great scenery, cuddly animals in a real plot, and relatable protagonists that could easily be human (like a single mom struggling to take care of her bear cubs in a dangerous world) then watch “Bears” instead.