Monkeybone - Special Edition

Rating:
Summary: Monkeywhat?
Review: The Fantasy genre is pretty much wide open, which allows a filmmaker to take an audience where he will, without the constraint of parameters of realism or any significant frames of reference. It's a kind of create-as-you-go market, and it's hard to go wrong, especially with the special effects and technology available today. Mixing fantasy and comedy, however, is a whole different thing, and even in the abstract it is bound to wind up in a very subjective arena, and to be successful it must be created and presented with great care, vision and an innate sense of what works by the filmmaker. "Monkeybone," directed by Henry Selick and written by Sam Hamm is-- well-- none of those things, which is unfortunate for everyone involved with the project, but mostly for the unsuspecting audience upon which it is sprung.

The movie begins with a short "Monkeybone" cartoon, a pilot created from a popular comic strip written by Stu Miley (Brendan Fraser), which has just been picked up by Comedy Central and contracted for a number of episodes. The cartoon depicts the origins of Monkeybone himself, and the appeal is purely infantile (and that's being kind). After the premiere of this animated masterpiece, Stu attends the promo party with his girlfriend, Dr. Julie McElroy (Bridget Fonda), who is indirectly responsible for the existence of Monkeybone in the first place. Stu had suffered from a sleep disorder due to nightmares since he could remember, and it was Dr. Julie who turned his life around, treating him at the sleep clinic into which he checked himself when he finally couldn't take it anymore. At that point in his life, Stu's cartoons ranged from the gruesome to the downright disturbed-- all extensions of his nightmares; then Julie suggested drawing with his left hand instead of his right, and the result was the emergence of Monkeybone, who apparently is supposed to be the flip side of his nightmares. Which may be true for Stu, but not necessarily for the audience.

Monkeybone himself (with voice provided by John Turturro sounding like he's been inhaling helium), is-- far from being funny, cute or endearing in any way, shape or form-- an annoying little spud who grates on the senses from the moment he appears on screen, which beyond the opening cartoon, begins with Stu's descent into "Down Town," the land of nightmares residing within his own mind into which he slips when a freak accident puts him in a coma. It's a freakish place, a kind of demented "Toon Town," populated by (besides the ever-present and irritating Monkeybone) such illustrious nightmare mongers as Edgar Allan Poe, Jack the Ripper, Lizzy Borden, Attila the Hun and Stephen King (yes, the real King, in a cameo appearance). The crux of Stu's problem is that he has to get his hands on an "Exit Pass," in order to defy Death (Whoopi Goldberg), and make his escape back into the land of the living.

Brendan Fraser has to be given credit for not being afraid to take on challenging (some would say questionable) roles; from the comic antics of "George of the Jungle," to the comedy/drama of "With Honors," to the action-packed "Mummy" films that have been so successful. Overall, he's made a career out of taking chances and ferreting out parts that have quite effectively showcased his versatility and talent as an actor. And it's easy to understand why this vehicle would've appealed to him. On paper, at least, it probably looked like it would work; and Stu, as written, probably seemed like a character that would give him another opportunity to spread his wings and show some range. Unfortunately, it's a long, long journey from script to screen, as they say. And even an Oscar worthy performance in this case (and it wasn't) couldn't have saved the day. The best that can be said is that Fraser did as well as anyone could have with the material he was given.

As for Bridget Fonda, one has to ask how an actor of her caliber gets caught up in such a thankless, generic role as this, which served the story as little more than fancy window dressing. Fonda is simply too good and too deserving of better than to wind up in a part as forgettable as this. But then again, it may have looked good on paper. We'll call it that.

The supporting cast includes Chris Kattan (Organ Donor Stu), Giancarlo Esposito (Hypnos), Rose McGowan (Kitty), Dave Foley (Herb), Megan Mullally (Kimmy) and Lisa Zane (Medusa). Sometimes it's fun to just relax and watch a movie that doesn't require much effort or thought and just lets you roll with the flow, but "Monkeybone" isn't one of them. This is the one that never should have made it past the first draft of the screenplay, and Fraser and Fonda should invest in some white-out to try and expunge this from their respective filmographies. There's magic in the movies, but not when the wires are exposed and you can see the trap door in the stage. So file this one under "Sorry-- but try again," and we can all move on to bigger, better and happier times.

Rating:
Summary: Brendan Fraser Takes Risks Again
Review: It is amazing to me that every time Brendan Fraser does an edgy, risky movie, like this one, his audience bottoms out. Yet when he does work that I find barely watchable, like the two "Mummy" movies, he is a huge hit. This film drew few viewers, just like his "Still Breathing," "Gods and Monsters," and "Twilight of the Golds." Here Fraser plays cartoonist Stu who via a coma is transported to Down Town. Other people in comas and people who are created by others' imaginations live in Down Town. They all crave nightmares and dreams. It is a hyper surreal place. Stu's creation, Monkeybone, lives there too and Monkeybone plots to take Stu's place in the real world. Monkeybone does emerge in the real world in Stu's body and Fraser does a superb job playing a monkey in the body of a man. In fact, his character is the most fun when Monkeybone takes over. I've never seen before "Saturday Night Live's" Chris Kattan. He plays a gymnast with a broken neck whose body Stu inhabits while trying to get his own body back from Monkeybone. He turns in an amazing performance as well and I'd like to see him in more. I do not know the technicalities of animation film making. However, the combination of animation characters with real world actors, like Fraser, is done superbly and seamlessly here. In fact, it might ruin the film for me to know how it is done so I'm just as glad that I don't know.

Rating:
Summary: A mess of a film, yes...But also brilliant...
Review: "Monkeybone" is the type of experimental, twisted movie that is destined to become a cult classic. Mixing shades of Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice" with an enormous variety of influences such as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "All of Me," "Alice in Wonderland," and even "Regarding Henry," this movie is a stop-motion cartoon, a live-action love story, a dark comedy, a fantasy, a Freudian nightmare, and more. It contains an extremely diverse and unusual cast, including Brendan Fraser as a cartoonist in a coma, Bridget Fonda as his fiancee, Whoopi Goldberg as Death (yes, you read that right), Chris Kattan as the decomposing corpse of a gymnast, Megan Mullally as the cartoonist's sister who is very eager to pull the plug, Dave Foley as the cartoonist's manager, and Rose McGowan as a kitty cat (yes, once again, you read that right)! It also contains bizzare, strange, and cool animation by director Henry Selick, who also directed Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas."

Ostensibly, "Monkeybone" is the story about an artist's struggle between artistic integrity and cartoonish commercialism, about the difference between a work of art and a mere doodle, a satire about the consequences of "selling out." It is also a Freudian fairy tale about a man whose sexual id is represented by a cartoon monkey. Monkeybone is literally this man's erection. The story is an examination of what happens when one lets one's id take over his whole life. It is a psychological analysis of what nightmares are made of. It is a surrealistic comedy containing some of the most startling, visually stunning images you are likely to see on film for a long time, including strange representations of many classical, mythological creatures. It is a love story. While this might sound like the premise of an independant film, this is actually a big budget film that was marketed to look like a children's movie. Not a good idea.

It's no wonder this movie did so poorly at the box office. Believe it or not, this film is the type that should have been playing at small art houses, not mainstream movie theatres. Even the cover box says it's the crudest movie since "South Park." In short, the studio didn't know how to market its own movie.

This movie is an extremely likable one, hilariously funny at times, always seriously bizarre, and obviously the work of a demented genius. It is hard to deny the brilliant artistry involved, and the all-around great acting by the cast. In fact, I respect every actor in this film immensely, especially the big budget ones such as Whoopi Goldberg and Brendan Fraser. This is the type of weird movie they didn't have to do, but chose to do. It is a project they wanted to be involved in, and I respect them for that.

Typically, most of the reviewers, mostly in the middle of the country, panned this film. However, many major newspapers and publications, such as "The New York Times," and "Entertainment Weekly" gave it great reviews, despite its messy nature.

And this is one of the few movies in recent history in which its mess actually adds to its likability. A more polished version of this film would be not be half as enjoyable, brilliant, crazy, or maddening as this truly original, insane piece of filmmaking. As it is now, the viewer constantly wonders what strange happening will occur next, and, trust me, it is always stranger than you thought it would be.

I would not recommend this film to everyone. I would probably recommend it mostly to serious movie buffs or lovers of very original, non-mainstream film, who enjoy Tim Burton/Sam Raimiesque humor in their cinema. If you're in the most for something completely and utterly different in every way, buy this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing stop-motion animation!!
Review: A pretty good movie with some of the best stop-motion animation ever. Henry Selick's group of animators no what they're doing. Too bad no one gave it a chance when it was out in theaters. This dvd is a must for any animation or stop-motion fan. The DVD shows how the Monkey was animated against blue screen interacting with robotic casts of Brendan Frasier. Very impressive stuff!!

Rating:
Summary: Good, yet unsatisfing....
Review: Monkeybone has an interesting premise, but fails to fully follow up. The scenes in Downtown are fantastic, and the stop-motion on Monkeybone is great, but some of the acting skills are sub par. Chris Kattan was wasted in this film, having virtually no funny moments. Perhaps it was a blessing he was only in it for 15 minutes. McGowan's character of Kitty is fantastic, but her role is never really fleshed out as much as it could have been. Still, her moments in the movie are memorable. It is not a bad movie, but it is one that I would recommend renting first, as many will be dissapointed.

Rating:
Summary: Monkeybone A Cult Masterpiece
Review: I have found that the people that like this movie are usually the ones with a stroke of creativity in their blood...people that can actually relate to Stu. Being an illustrator myself I found a lot of truth behind this film about a man and his psychological baggage. The characters real and fictional are very well developed and the movie moves along at a pace that really kept me interested and involved. If you liked the movie, the DVD is well worth acquiring for all the special features. My favorite extra's were the extended scenes, explaining a lot of plot development in further detail. The animation is great, the story is great, the characters are great. I don't know what creative person can sit through this movie without wanting to buy their own Monkeybone doll. I researched and found a copy of Kaja Blackley's graphic novel "Dark Town" upon which the movie is based, and found it just as fascinating. Only problem now is dealing with the fact that only #1 out of a 12 volume series was published...and I'm left with only the movie in its completion!

Rating:
Summary: I liked it
Review: Movie reminded me of BeetleJuice. I have heard the comparisons to Nightmare before Christmas but I can't make a judgement since I never saw Nightmare before Christmas. The effects were good, the story was funny and the characters were all done very well. The dogs nightmare was to me just hilarious. Chris Kattan was just fantastic in this movie. I usually am not amused by his Saturday Night Live bits but was more than impressed by the performance he gave in this movie. I would have to say it is a must rent.

Rating:
Summary: One thumb horizontal ...
Review: Like one of the other reviewers, I too, loved "The Night Before Christmas". Unlike her (him?), though, I found that "Monkeybone" was much of a very mixed bag. I usually love the surrealistic and fantastic, but Monkeybone never quite lives up to its promise. Sorry.

Rating:
Summary: Be thou not fooled
Review: Be thou not fooled by those that would compare Monkeybone to The Nightmare Before Christmas. If anything, Moneybone is a cousin to Ralph Bakshi's mess, Cool World. The plot: Underground cartoonist Stu Miley (Brendan Fraser) has long been the gloomy sort. Two events have made him a lot better than he used to be, though. Long plagued with nightmares, Stu went for help at a Los Angeles sleep institute where he met the love of his life, Dr. Julie McElroy (Bridget Fonda). With her guidance the artist began to channel everything repressed in his subconscious through a new comic strip character, Monkeybone. It's become such a hit that as the story begins, Stu's simian id is about to become animated as the Comedy Channel’s hot new cult TV show.

This lucky role sadly lasts only as long it takes for Stu and Julie to try to drive away from his first big promotional shindig as a freak accident leaves Stu in a coma. His big surprise comes next as he finds himself traveling from the earth to a surreal village floating in a void partially inhabited by people in a similar physical state. Ruled by the Dream God Hypnos (Giancarlo Esposito), the majority of the residents turn out to be monsters and creatures from the dreams of the human race. Most annoyingly, one of the locals turns out to be Monkeybone (voice of John Turturro). Now about three months later Stu realizes that he has a much bigger problem. He'd made a pact with his sister Kimmy (Megan Mullally) that if one of them was stuck in a coma, the other wouldn't waste time pulling the plug. With little time left, he finds only one option. To return to the world of the living, Stu will have to steal a treasured golden exit pass from Hypnos' sister Death (Whoopi Goldberg). Monkeybone offers to help his creator, but his motives might not be in Stu's best interest. Before he comes around to what's really happening, he finds himself in much deeper trouble, MONKEY TROUBLE. Now he has to find a way back to the waking world fast before Monkeybone can destroy it.

The lowdown: Henry Selick was a somewhat obscure but rising animator before Tim Burton and producer Denise Di Novi brought him up to the next level to direct The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach. Monkeybone is Selick's first feature without his mentors, and it's a mess. Attempting to pinpoint exactly where this flick goes awry is a tricky thing to do. Between the cold fish delivery of the sophomoric dialogue and the insanely infantile ... humor, it's really a toss-up. Surviving the first half of this 82-minute nightmare is easy compared to the second half, as the wildly desperate "plot twists" kick in and Stephen King turns up for his ridiculous cameo to make a tired Cujo joke. There's a wealth of underdone characters here, from Stu's barely glossed-over background to his cut-and-paste sister Clarissa, and from Goldberg's barely tolerable Death to Foley's annoying Yes Man Herb. Hamm's script feels hastily written, or, more likely, hastily rewritten. The few gags that work -- once in Stu's body, Monkeybone appears wearing a Lloyd Llewellyn T-shirt, a nod to Daniel Clowes' existentialist cult comic book -- are castaways in a sea of stupidity. The tone and pacing are all over the place. I wonder if Selick and his producers were waffling between going for a dark edgy tone and a manic comedy, because the movie teeters between the two, even within a single scene. It's so choppy that you might think there were bits removed all over the place.

I think the worst thing about this flick, is that it could have been great. But it has neither the heart to be whimsical nor the guts to be bawdy, as was clearly the original intent. (The sexual euphemism of the name Monkeybone, and all that that symbolizes, gets severely watered down for the sake of a PG-13 rating.) If it didn't lurch forward in fits and starts triggered by plebeian gags and sketchbook characters -- Monkeybone could have been the quirky, risqué "Roger Rabbit" it wanted to be.

Rating:
Summary: Appealing to many types of viewers
Review: I have to say I'm surprised and glad to see the praise this movie is getting. I thought I'd have to come in and defend it, but I see you all have some taste ;)

I talked to two people at work about this movie after I saw it. All three of us have different tastes and all three got something different out of it. I am the animation fanatic, and was interested in seeing another film by the director of Nightmare before Christmas. I enjoy Henry Selick's style and vision, and saw it come through quite well at moments in the film. It's funny that the things I did not like so much about the movie were what my co-workers (and some reviewers here) liked best. Bill is an SNL and comedy lover, and watched purely for that aspect. He thought the movie was hilarious but a little too weird. And my film snobby assistant was impressed with the insider jokes and references, half of which I didn't even catch.

This is why I give the film four stars. It is very good. We all liked it. But none of us loved it 100%. Of course, if we had had, one of us would give it five stars and the others would pan it completely. I guess that's the problem with trying to please everyone all the time. At least Monkeybone comes close, and I recommend it equally to animation, cult film, and comedy lovers.