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How does Jack, a chimpanzee with the IQ of a genius, end up living in the frozen North and playing hockey on a kids' junior hockey team? It all starts with the unfortunate demise of the professor who trains and cares for him and the dean's plans to sell Jack to a research facility. Jack's somewhat slow-witted janitor friend puts Jack on a train bound for the El Simian reserve, but he sleeps through his stop and winds up in a small Canadian town instead. Jack quickly befriends Tara Westover, a deaf girl recently transplanted from California, and her brother Steven. Mishaps abound as Jack attempts to blend into the town, but eventually he joins Steven on the local hockey team--as its star player! Can Jack turn around the team's dismal record? Can Steven and Tara prevent the dean from catching up with Jack and sending him to the research lab? This is a touching story about a close-knit, functional family and its interaction with a smart, adorable chimp. While this 93-minute film does contain some fairly violent hockey scenes, it is for the most part wholesome family entertainment that celebrates such values as open-mindedness, caring, and compassion. The chimps are thoroughly entertaining, and Kevin Zegers (Steven) and Jamie Renée Smith (Tara) do a nice job with their roles. Ages 5 and up. --Tami Horiuchi
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