Monkey Kingdom Movie Review

A few days ago, I shared with you our #MonkeyKingdom adventure at the #LAZoo! As you may recall, I also promised you, that I will be sharing our Monkey Kingdom movie review just in time for the world premier. Well, today is that day, Monkey Kingdom is now in theaters everywhere!

Monkey Kingdom Movie Review

If you are not a fan of monkeys, and honestly, who isn’t? 🙂 Monkey Kingdom will make you fall in love with these amazing primates. Monkey Kingdom is the latest production of Disney Nature and it is set in the ancient ruins in the city of Sri Lanka in South Asia (pictured above). This majestic area is surrounded by lush greens thanks to the yearly monsoons and it is host to thousands of monkeys. Among the thousands of monkeys living in this region is a troop of toque macaques monkeys. Toque macaques are the smallest living species of macaques and the protagonists of Monkey Kingdom.

(Maya & Kip – Maya’s son)

The heroin in the movie is a Toque Macaque monkey, named Maya, you will recognize her by her blonde bob hair due or by the three spots on her nose! 🙂 Monkey Kingdom is narrated by the extraordinaire, Tina Fey. As soon as the movie begins we learn that Macaque monkeys live in complex social hierarchy and that Maya is not at the top of it. On the contrary, in this society if you are born at the bottom of the hierarchy, the hopes of you climbing the social ladder is nearly impossible. However, Maya is smart and resourceful, because of necessity, and once she becomes a mother, there is nothing she wouldn’t do to provide for her child.

Accompanying Maya at Castle Rock are Raja (the Alpha male of the troop), the “Sisters” (Raja’s enforcers & the queens), and the rest of the low ranking members of the troop. Also at Castle Rock, you will find a mischievous mongoose, simple-minded langur monkeys, predatory leopards and monitor lizards. Throughout the movie you will see how resourceful and brave Maya is against the unknown & challenging situations. After the troop is force to relocate, everyone in the troop (including Raja & sisters), are required to follow Maya’s lead to learn to survive in these strange areas & even stranger beings. Working together will not only be the way to survive, but to claim their home again.

Monkey Kingdom is such a cute movie that show us how these primates are similar to human beings in many ways. Maya’s resourcefulness & her mother’s instincts are two of the aspects of this movie I can fully relate to. Take your kids to see this movie, they will learn to appreciate nature and our earth a little more. Plus, if you see MONKEY KINGDOM on its opening week (April 17-23), Disneynature will make a donation in your honor to Conservation International to help protect monkeys and other endangered species in their natural habitats. Learn more about Monkey kingdom by visiting the Monkey Kingdom website here. Don’t forget to follow along on social media with the hashtags #AvengersEvent and #MonkeyKingdom.

 

Life is an adventure for Maya, the clever and resourceful blonde-bobbed monkey in “Monkey Kingdom,” Disneynature’s new feature film set among ancient ruins in the storied jungles of South Asia. Maya’s world is forever changed when she welcomes her son, Kip, into her complicated extended family. Like all families, Maya’s has more than its share of colorful personalities—and she’s determined to give her son a leg up in the world. When their longtime home at Castle Rock is taken over by powerful neighboring monkeys, Maya’s whole family retreats, and she uses her street smarts and ingenuity to uncover untapped resources amidst strange new creatures and unsettling surroundings. Ultimately, they will all have to work together to reclaim Castle Rock, where Maya can hopefully realize her dreams for her son’s future.

Featuring a rich variety of characters, including a mischievous mongoose, simple-minded langur monkeys, predatory leopards and monitor lizards, “Monkey Kingdom” is narrated by Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), directed by Mark Linfield (“Chimpanzee,” “Earth”) and co-directed by Alastair Fothergill (“Chimpanzee,” “Bears”). With music from award-winning composer Harry Gregson-Williams (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “Shrek” movies), Disneynature’s eighth True Life Adventure—the follow-up to 2014’s “Bears”—swings into theaters April 17, 2015.

Monkey Kingdom Movie Trailer:

Disclosure: I will be provided an all expense paid trip to L.A to facilitate the review of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON & Monkey Kingdom, no additional compensation was received.