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Three out of Five stars
Running time: 86 mins

Enjoyable, brightly coloured and sharply written animation that will delight its target audience while leaving accompanying adults pleasantly surprised.

What's it all about?
Based on the popular children's books by Margret and H.A. Rey, Curious George features Will Ferrell as Ted, a museum worker whose boss (Dick Van Dyke) sends him out into the jungle to find a giant idol that will pull the crowds back home. Ted fails to find the idol but he inadvertently piques the curiosity of a cute little monkey named George (Frank Welker), who stows away and follows Ted back to New York.

Once back in the city, the pair have a series of adventures and meet a number of colourful characters (voiced by the likes of Drew Barrymore, Eugene Levy and Joan Plowright). But will they be able to prevent the boss's son (David Cross) from turning the museum into a car park?

The Good
Curious George is something of an American institution, so it's pleasing to see that the film-makers have treated the stories with the respect they deserve. For one thing, they have commendably resisted the urge to give George a speaking voice; he sounds exactly like a monkey throughout and the film is all the more charming for it.

In addition, the film is beautifully animated in traditional hand-drawn style, reflecting the original illustrations. The designs are simple, yet colourful and there are several memorable images.

The Great
The voice work is excellent. Ferrell proves a dab hand at this sort of thing and delivers several laugh-out-loud lines. On top of that, Drew Barrymore proves just as adorable in animated form as she does in live-action romcoms (her character even looks a little bit like her).

Worth seeing?
In short, this is a well-made, beautifully animated and sharply written children's film that can be enjoyed by both adults and children alike. Recommended.