Plot: What’s it about?
Eva Boylan (Thora Birch) is a young girl who suddenly feels left out, thanks to the arrival of a baby brother. Of course, her parents love her as much as ever, but with all the attention being given to her brother, she just feels a little out of touch. She doesn’t have any real friends either, so it becomes a time of isolation for Eva, though a change is about to unfold for her. A new friend is found in a small, hairy creature, a monkey that appears to her one day and right from the start, the two become best friends. But Eva doesn’t know that Dodger, as she calls him, has escaped from a gypsy master named Shorty (Harvey Keitel), who trained the primate to have some unusual skills, ones that involve criminal actions. So while she and Dodger wander around the Boardwalk, having fun and entertaining the crowds, Shorty is hot on their trail and wants his monkey back, to resume the underhanded routine. But of course, Dodger wants to stay with Eva, but when Shorty comes knocking, will Dodger be taken from his new friend?
The more cinematic monkey madness the better, which is why I am pleased to see New Line has released Monkey Trouble on DVD. No, this is by no means the Citizen Kane of “kid with a monkey” movies, but it has some fun moments and if you’re into primate cinema, Monkey Trouble should keep you entertained. As should be expected from a family aimed picture, Monkey Trouble is a little lame at times, but has some real humor also, though its always just good, clean, harmless fun, as promised. The jokes are mild most of the time, but are well played, while the storyline is predictable, but for a family focused movie, it serves its purpose. Of course, younger audiences will enjoy this movie more than adults, but if you have a good sense of humor, you should find more than a few laughs as an adult here. The cast is headed by a young Thora Birch (American Beauty, Ghost World), while Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs) and Mimi Rogers (Lost in Space) lead a gifted supporting cast, most of whom turn in better efforts than expected. If you’re a fan of family friendly monkey movies, then Monkey Trouble is more than recommended.
Video: How does it look?
Monkey Trouble is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition also included on this dual layered disc. As per usual, New Line delivers a top notch visual effort, even though the film’s basic appearance limits the presentation. In other words, the movie has bland visuals and that means the images don’t pop, but as far as the material goes, you couldn’t want much more out of this disc. The colors are bright and free from errors, flesh tones seem natural, and black levels are well balanced as well. Not much else we can ask for, as New Line has come through on all fronts here.
Audio: How does it sound?
As this is a live action kids’ movie, the audio remains rather basic in design, but it all sounds good, so no real complaints. The dialogue is crisp and clear at all times, with no volume or clarity issues to contend with. No problems arise with the sound effects either, though they’re mostly found in the front channels, with little surround presence to mention. The musical score comes through the rear channels, as do some sound effects, but this is by no means an active, memorable soundtrack, just a solid one. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option, as well as English subtitles, just in case you’ll need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
