Chimpanzee - 3 smiles

Although the commentary in “Chimpanzee,” the fourth installment from DisneyNature in its series of documentaries released for Earth Day, is often corny and over-anthropomorphized, the film’s striking visuals and the affectionate hearts of the central characters draws us in. We see how chimpanzees communicate and cooperate, how they use tools and teach one another survival skills, how they use grooming to build community and define their hierarchy. However, this G-rated tale does have a problem. In their efforts to reveal the unexpected story of an orphaned baby chimp adopted by an unrelated male, the baby has to lose his mother first. This is handled discreetly (as is the group of chimps feeding on a smaller monkey), but we see how tenderly the mother cares for her baby and how much he depends on her. More sensitive audience members may find her loss and the baby’s abandonment by the other adults disturbing.

Narrator Tim Allen introduces us to newborn Oscar, whose tiny, wizened face is utterly charming as he begins to explore the world around him. His mother, Isha, cuddles him, feeds him and patiently teaches him how to survive in the jungle. They are part of a tribe led by the alpha male Freddy, who provides protection and leadership. As man encroaches more into their territory, food becomes harder to find. The chimps are threatened by an invasion from a nearby group of hungry chimps with a formidable leader named Scar, who eventually invades Freddy’s territory. Oscar, who finds himself alone, cannot take care of himself so Freddy becomes his adoptive father. But Freddy is so enthralled with his new son that he begins to neglect his job of protecting the group and Scar is waiting for a change to return. Deep within the African rainforest, illuminated by the gentle flow of time-lapse photography, Oscar and Freddy teach us that love, courage and compassion are emotions these chimps clearly understand.  Children will love “Chimpanzee” and so will most adults. 4/22/12