George of the Jungle was released in 1997 and put out by Disney. I remember seeing this when it first came out and thinking it was ok. I came across this by accident on Disney Plus and I thought I would see how well it held up. Growing up, I watched re-runs of the Geroge of the Jungle cartoon from way before my time and I always got a kick out of the theme song.
How to Download George of the Jungle
George of the Jungle was released on July 16, 1997. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like Brendan Freaser, you need to check him out in The Mummy (1999), The Mummy Returns (2001), and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008).
The Movie Review
Cast and Characters: A Closer Look
One of the things that may surprise you about this movie is the cast. We have Brendan Fraser as George and he is so much fun in this role. He is such a likable actor that I think he is very easy to warm to in most of the stuff he is in. Also, I wonder if it was his more “physical” acting in George of the Jungle that got him the role in The Mummy which came out a couple of years later.
Leslie Mann and Thomas Haden Church Shine
We also have Leslie Mann as Ursula who is the female lead. I am a big fan of Leslie Mann and I feel that she does a good job here of being both a damsel in distress and also pretty tough in her own right. The biggest surprise here is Thomas Haden Church as the villain of the movie, Lyle van de Groot. You can tell that he was having a blast here and it was also kind of weird seeing him look “young” or at the very least young by Thomas Haden Church standards.
The Parody of Tarzan: Plot Overview
What we have here with George of the Jungle is a parody of Tarzan. Ursula is a very wealthy heiress and she is touring Burundi. Ursula is intrigued by the stories of “The White Ape” a man like an ape who protects and lives in the jungle. Ursula is engaged to be married to Lyle van de Groot who is an absolute jerk and has sent his goons to bring Ursula back to the USA.
Comedy and Adventure in the Jungle
Well, a bit of trouble happens and Ursula is saved by George who takes her to his treehouse and introduces her to his talking animal friends. By the way, John Cleese as “Ape” is an absolute blast! Lyle and his goons capture everyone and take them back to the States and we then have a slapstick comedy of George trying to save the day, fall in love with Ursula and help his friends.
Family Fun with a Classic Comedy
This is about as predictable a family comedy as you can get, but it is still a fun time. I will say that George of the Jungle is aimed at a younger audience, but it is a good choice for a family movie night. I would not class this as an all-time family/comedy classic, but it does have charm and it is about ten million times better than the sequel… I hated that movie!
