★ 10 / 10
Looking back, from where I am today, where
GenerationofSwine
Looking back, from where I am today, where we are, the premise is a bit dodgy. But, hey, back in 87 everything was a bit less realistic when it came to movies…
Looking back, from where I am today, where we are, the premise is a bit dodgy. But, hey, back in 87 everything was a bit less realistic when it came to movies like this and that was really for the better in most cases.
The ending is exceptionally corny, but again, 1987 and that made it fun. The 80s had an ability to do corny right, even if the corny came in the form of a film pushing itself off to be an action-drama.
But so it goes, its a fun and entertaining film and that's all that matters
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★ 7 / 10
This Was No Monkey Business
view_and_review
I saw Matthew Broderick and Helen Hunt and thought, "Comedy." Comedy it was not.A chimpanzee by the name of Virgil left the comfy confines of a Wisconsin…
I saw Matthew Broderick and Helen Hunt and thought, "Comedy." Comedy it was not.A chimpanzee by the name of Virgil left the comfy confines of a Wisconsin University for the cramped cages of Lockridge Air Force Base in Florida. There he was being trained to do flight simulations by Jimmy Garrett (Broderick). Jimmy was enjoying his job until he found out what the chimps were truly being used for: to test their ability to withstand radiation while flying. These chimpanzees were being routinely killed presumably to find out how a U.S. pilot would fare in the same situation.Sad, I know. Jimmy had grown attached to Virgil and couldn't bear to see him sacrificed in such a manner. This movie actually tugs at the heart strings. We can easily rationalize harming other creatures for the benefits of mankind, but this was a sad case. I don't want to prop this movie up like it's an Oscar-worthy movie, but it was done well.
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★ 7 / 10
Sad. Enriching, But Sad, And Very Well Done.
FiendishDramaturgy
Matthew Broderick, Helen Hunt. An Air Force pilot rescues smart chimps from lab experiments at a strategic-weapons research center, but then has to figure out…
Matthew Broderick, Helen Hunt. An Air Force pilot rescues smart chimps from lab experiments at a strategic-weapons research center, but then has to figure out what to do with them.
This film will break your heart, if you have a love for animals. You are introduced to the chimps (they're given CHARACTER development, if you can dig it), then you are shown what happens TO the chimps in this research center, and then you are shown what happens because of this treatment. Once you are emotionally invested in the premise, the tension of the surrounding atmosphere begins to build until the climactic crescendo.
This is actually not as bad as I remembered, but not as good as I hoped, watching from a more mature perspective. The performances are typical of the time, perhaps a tad better, but this work is horribly dated, as is practically everything from that era. I wouldn't say it rates a remaking, as it's fine as it is, but someone will in order to carry a "fresh" message that what goes on in these laboratories is wrong. Eventually, we'll see posters and ad blurbs for Project NeXt or something like that.
All in all, it's good for a rainy Sunday, but don't set your hopes real high, and ... in spite of the levity , heartwarming moments, and the kid-friendly ratings, this is NOT for younger (or tender) children, who could be traumatized for years by the treatment these chimps receive.
It rates a 6.8/10 from...
the Fiend :.
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...and here was me thinking that "Godzilla" was the worst movie that Matthew Broderick had made... Thanks for correcting me :)