Monkeybone (2001) User Reviews

Very surreal at times...and not nearly as bad as the critics said

[Vigilante-407 · 6/10 · 8 July 2001]

Let's face it...Monkeybone is definitely not the greatest movie ever made, but it has it's points.

Stu's visit to "Downtown" while in his coma has some truly startling special effects and puppetry...there are many images and icons from popular culture that are transposed here with great comedic and nightmarish effect. The sequence in which Stu goes into the surrealist painting he himself made has an unsettling quality to it that I usually only feel with Dali or Bunuel.

Brendan Fraser is very adequate in this movie, and Chris Kattan's appearance was quite welcome, but Bridget Fonda's prodigious acting talents are wasted here.

pretty funny

[rebeljenn · 5/10 · 2 February 2006]

I am amazed at the low reviews of this film. Although it is not a great film or even a memorable film, 'Monkeybone' had some pretty funny content and a pretty good story. It could have been better, but this is just a comedy film we are talking about here. The concept is a good one: man is going to propose to girlfriend but ends up in a coma where he is trying to escape from a fantasy cartoon world filled with unusual characters. It's been a few years since I have seen it, and I do admit that the film was not that memorable, but again, it is just a comedy, and I did think they did a pretty good job with this one. Average - 5 out of 10.

Not Henry Selick's best, but a striking piece of work nonetheless

[DavidSim240183 · 6/10 · 21 July 2007]

Henry Selick is one of the most underrated filmmakers at work in Hollywood today. He hasn't many features under his belt, but that's because of the effort he invests in his projects. His films take years to complete. Selick's trademark as a director is his love of stop-motion animation, where hand-crafted figures are manipulated an inch at a time. Its a lengthy, time-consuming process that requires a great deal of patience, but in all the films he's made, his perseverance has paid off, and he's turned out some truly stunning work.

Although The Nightmare Before Christmas is credited as a Tim Burton film, it was directed by Selick. Together they created a breathtaking world, unlike any I've ever seen before or since. Selick then moved on to the adaptation of James and the Giant Peach, another excellent film. Both were box-office flops sadly, and Selick continues to struggle to find funding for his films as a result. And now we have Monkeybone, a film that attempts to merge stop-motion with live-action.

Of Selick's films so far, Monkeybone feels the least satisfying. Maybe because it doesn't quite have the intelligence he brought to his previous work. This is pitched at a much more juvenile level. Brendan Fraser plays Stu Miley, a cartoonist who is the creator of Monkeybone, a wacky wisecracking chimp. After Stu gets in a car crash, he slips into a coma.

And winds up in a bizarre buffer-zone between the land of the living and the dead. Populated by strange creatures of all kinds, even Stu's creation Monkeybone is here as a nightclub act. If Stu ever wants to wake up, he has to get an exit pass from Death (Whoopi Goldberg) to return to the waking world. Monkeybone helps him get one, but double-crosses him at the last moment, uses the pass to escape, wakes up in full control of Stu's body, where he wreaks havoc.

There's quite a clever idea at the heart of Monkeybone. A figment of your imagination made flesh that tries to take over your life. But although Henry Selick can work marvels when it comes to the animated world, he seems less sure of himself when it comes to live action. When Selick directed James and the Giant Peach, the stop-motion scenes were wonderful, and carried by considerable charm and energy. But he bookended the film with live-action, and its clearly a medium he's not as comfortable in. Because Monkeybone relies on a lot of live-action, the film suffers as a result.

A lot of the live-action scenes tend to degenerate into slapstick farce. An approach that would work fine in animation, but less so in live-action. Brendan Fraser is well suited to this type of material, and he plays the part of Monkeybone with a lot of enthusiasm, but I am starting to get a bit fed up of this kind of shtick that Fraser stars in, because its beginning to seem like the only kind of thing he can do.

The most interesting aspects of Monkeybone are inside Stu's mind, where his consciousness is trapped in Downtown, a sort of waystation for lost souls. This is the part of the film that really comes alive, because Downtown's an extraordinary, eye-popping piece of set-design.

Its filled with so many details I'm not sure where to begin in describing it. Its like a lunatic carnival if lorded over by Tim Burton. And the way Selick merges stop-motion animated creatures with live actors is quite remarkable. There are too many bizarre creatures to keep track of. Cyclops'. Yellow bulls. Giant sized wasps. But its just as astonishing as HalloweenTown, and even occasionally surpasses that inspired creation through sheer invention.

The human cast is OK. Rose McGowan lends fine support as a catgirl who lives in Downtown. The sight of her in a catsuit is worth the price of admission alone! And Whoopi Goldberg makes a nicely exasperated Death.

But Monkeybone is less than the sum of its parts. Its a film that doesn't go far enough. And substitutes crude toilet humour when the invention runs out. A failing that works against the film is the character of Monkeybone himself. He's not really an interesting character. He's just some obnoxious chimp who looks like he's wandered in from another film.

Sadly, Monkeybone was another flop for Selick. Granted I was a little disappointed with it, especially when compared to Selick's previous work. Even if it has moments of real inspired lunacy, its just not up to the high standards of Henry Selick, and only seems to add a further nail into the coffin of his flagging career. And he's a man who really deserves much better.

Bizarre, if slightly flawed, fun

[zmaturin · 23 March 2001]

I don't know how, but somehow Henry Selick got his hands on millions of dollars to make a movie that's going to appeal to only a small handful of odd movie goers. Monkeybone is a visually delightful, darkly humorous, and totally refreshing fantasy flick full of great special effects, likable characters, and a style that mixes everything from "Brazil" and "Cool World" to "Hellraiser" and "Eraserhead". It reminded me of "Dark City", "Freaked", "Forbidden Zone" and the work of Sid and Marty Krofft, but at the same time completely fresh and original.

"Monkeybone" does suffer from some flaws, but they seem like the manipulations of some behind-the-scenes tinkering to make the movie more "normal". The most visible scars occur when our hero Stu Miley (Brendan Fraser, who is quickly becoming a great comedic actor) first arrives in Monkeybone's nightmare land. These early scenes in the fantasy world seem rushed and poorly plotted. I hope there's a special edition DVD or something to see more stuff.

But the stuff that was left in is great. I couldn't believe what I was seeing sometimes- Stu's black and white surgery nightmare was one of the creepiest things I've seen on the big screen, and Bob Odenkirk appears as a organ-hungry doctor in scenes that seem to be taken right out of his HBO series "Mr. Show". Chris Kattan is outstanding, providing some hilarious, "Re-Animator"-style hi-jinx as "Organ Doner Stu", Dave Foley is also funny as Stu's manager, and Whoopie Goldberg is really good as Death, whose head explodes when she gets mad.

But the real stars here are the fantasy characters who inhabit the nightmare town. Like in "The Nightmare Before Christmas", the background characters are just as cool-looking and diverse as the leads. It's a shame that more time isn't spent dwelling in this world or in Death's land, and that most of the movie takes place in the "real" world.

Anyway, see this movie while you can- it'll probably be out of theaters by the time I finish writing thi- too late.

Could this movie get any stranger?

[La Gremlin · 5/10 · 28 July 2001]

Well, sadly, yes.

I had really high hopes for this one. I liked it, don't get me wrong. I just wish they'd pushed a lot farther with it. I was expecting something truly trippy and messed up with frightening and bizarre images. What I got was more like a frat party attended by the minor characters in "the Never-ending Story".

Come to think of it, that's one heck of an idea for a movie. I thought of it first, so hands off!

If you've already seen "Nightmare Before Christmas" and the highly underrated "James and the Giant Peach", you won't miss anything much by skipping "Monkeybone". If you haven't seen either of those two movies yet, well, check them out ASAP!

Lynchian styling met with dumbed down stuff

[Quinoa1984 · 5/10 · 24 February 2001]

Much of Monkey Bone doesn't seem like it's for kids. While it does have Brendan Fraser and Chris Kattan, in the down town land, there are creatures and vibes that speak of Eraserhead, which is cool considering Eraserhead to be one of the most (if not most) disturbing films ever. However, the film is met with some dumb plot points and characters, and even if some segments were funny (Kattan himself is hilarious), it doesn't get right and is at points dead in the water. Visually, a creepy treat, yet overall, it's a near miss. Factoid- the voice of Monekybone is John Tuturro of the Coen Bros. movies. C+

Goofy, only mildly funny unique movie...

[dwpollar · 4/10 · 4 June 2005]

Monkeybone(2001) 4 out of 10, 1st watched 6/4/05 Dir-Henry Selick:

Goofy, only mildly funny unique movie about a cartoonist who goes into a comma and comes back as his cartoon character(his alter ego), monkeybone, with disastrous results. This is a kind of like two movies in one. You have, Downtown, the pre-death nightmare land filled with goofy creatures coming out of his dreams, and then the live-action world of real life that he first comes into as Monkeybone in his own body and then later as himself in a practically dead corpse of a prior gymnast's body played by Chris Katten. The funniest parts are with Kattan's character in which he's perfectly cast for this role with his physical humor perfected on Saturday Night Live, but he's just a small portion of the movie. The rest of it kind of labors under it's own goofiness and what we have is kind of a timburtonesque, rogerrabbitesque, nothingness. Bridget Fonda is cute as ever and Brendan Fraser is Brendan Fraser, but nobody really has enough to carry this movie into something worthwhile. Nice try, but a lot of money spent without a whole lot of satisfaction back to the viewer.

Deserved to do better

[Spleen · 7/10 · 25 October 2001]

Henry Selick's first feature, "The Nightmare Before Christmas", was a modern classic. His next, "James and the Giant Peach", had most of the things that made "Nightmare" great - heavily diluted. One thing that weakened Selick's second movie was his decision to begin and end with live action footage, when the glory of both "Nightmare" and "Peach" lay in skilful, sharp, gorgeous stop-motion animation.

In "Monkeybone" Selick has watered the original batch of Nightmare juice still more (note to Selick: it's time to stop mining this lode - if you make a fourth feature, get a new look), with at least half of the footage lacking the visual trademarks that were probably the reason for making the film in the first place. There WAS some stop-motion footage thrown in, probably it's for old time's sake.

Still, this is a better, more memorable movie than Selick's last one, and certainly not nearly as bad as the miserable box-office returns and scathing reviews would lead you to believe. Yes, the film has its flaws, but if you were to judge from its reception you'd think it didn't have ANY virtues - which simply isn't true. There's Brendan Fraser, for a start. How can you not like Stu Miley, or the way Fraser plays him? (If you want to see Fraser's charm wasted, see "Bedazzled".) At one point Stu is forced to temporarily occupy another body (Chris Kattan), and we instantly transfer our affections to the new actor without giving the matter a second thought - which is more remarkable than it sounds, and shows that Fraser really had been WORKING to get us to like Stu.

Then there's Downtown, which you must admit, looks good. It's more of a visual hodgepodge than Selick's previous two worlds (the first of which owes its look largely to Tim Burton), partly because it was realised through an ill-chosen mixture of costume, CGI, stop-motion and set design ... our eyes must constantly adjust, yet the overall look is strong enough to make it worth the effort.

As for the film's flaws, well, they've been greatly exaggerated. I suppose there were (as several American critics complained) some bodily-function-based jokes, but I can't recall that many - certainly not as many or as witless as in "Shrek", and besides, at least some of the jokes in "Monkeybone" are actually funny. That's because they're character-based, and not solely reliant on the alleged shock value of someone suddenly farting or burping.

All that's really wrong with "Monkeybone" is that it lacks the brilliance a premise this bizarre demands. Yeah, well, big deal. So unlike Selick's first feature it's not a masterpiece. It's still an entertaining, competently made film with a good, solid story, more than inventive enough to justify having been made.

As weird and smelly as anything that comes out of monkey's end bone.

[mark.waltz · 3/10 · 28 January 2024]

A lot of imagination went into this Brendan Fraser adult comedy with lots of childish overtones that's just odd and ugly. Cartoonist Fraser has created a character named Monkeybone that somehow brings him to this weird land called Down Town where he encounters a bunch of odd, creepy looking creatures and he comes to realize that his creations are simply the subjects of nightmares which in the land of the dead he's sentenced to serve in.

While doctor girlfriend Bridget Fonda waits patiently for Fraser to come out of a coma, he deals with the ruler of the land of death (Whoopi Goldberg) who has enough issues with her Satan like brother (Giancarlo Esposito) to have time to deal with a goofy cartoonist and his monkey creation. The film is non-stop slapstick of the slapdash kind, a lot of it just eye rolling. Much of it makes no sense either. Really just an excuse for a group of actors to just act really goofy without regards to a strong story.

Cool World with soul

[dfranzen70 · 7/10 · 16 July 2001]

An endearing young nebbish named Stu (Brendan Fraser) is a cartoonist whose main creation is the personification (or, if you will, the simianization) of his libido. The ornery Monkeybone represents all of Stu's repressed feelings, you see. This is not uncommon among cartoonists or comic-book artists (or, for that matter, any artist); the product on the page is often the result of the demons within the artist's tortured soul. Anyway, Stu has a lovely girlfriend named Julie (Bridget Fonda), who just happens to be a doctor. Monkeybone's about to hit big, and Stu's friend/agent (David Foley) is trying his damnedest to merchandise the hell out of the uncontrollable penis with legs. (There's a not-so-subtle symbolism at work here, of course; Stu represses his emotions, including all sexual feelings, and releases them only in the form of Monkeybone on the page.) The day that deals for the commercialization of Monkeybone (reluctantly by Stu, of course) are made, tragedy strikes. A freak car accident leaves Stu in a coma, although somehow his girlfriend escapes unharmed. So there he is, lying in a hospital bed. Trust me, folks, there's comedy afoot here. We're only now getting to it. While clinically dead, Stu finds himself in Hell. Everyone down there knows him, because he's suffered through nightmares for many, many years (and they've served to inspire him in his artistry, too). In 1991, there was a movie called Cool World that covered some of the same ground. In that film, cartoonist Gabriel Byrne ran into all of his old creations - in this one, Stu finds that the denizens down there have been audience to his nightmares since they began, and they've been counting on him to churn out more. Keeps 'em alive, apparently. Oh, but just to complicate things, Julie the doc has found out what causes nightmares. Actually, I guess that actually makes things nice and simple, not more complex. What's worse, down in Hell (actually, an offshoot of Hell called "Downtown"), Monkeybone is quite the center of attention, and even has a standup act that humiliates the reserved and introverted Stu. The movie really consists of two main parts: Stu down in Hell (although not quite dead yet in real life), trying to find a way back up; and Stu back on terra firma, trying to Save The Day. What connects the two parts is that the nefarious Monkeybone, who's ostensibly been helping Stu to get an "exit pass" has actually schemed to return to the land of the living himself - in Stu's body. So that's where the hijinks really begin; at least, that was the plan. Once Monkeybone gets back up there, things seem to fall into a familiar plotline, which is a shame. There are many scenes down in the underworld that are positively funny, including Whoopi Goldberg as the Lord of the Dead. Oh, and some good bits with Grim Reaper recruits. And the sets! VERY good, fascinating stuff. If you're a fan of scenes, how things look - set design, set decoration, the whole bit - then this movie has oodles of eye candy. It's very well designed. And here's a bit of praise for someone I thought I'd never give it to: Chris Kattan. See, after Monkeybone returns to Earth in Stu's body, Stu has to find a way back up there himself. He's sent back in the body of a gymnast who was just killed in a car wreck (broken neck). The scenes of Stu waking up on the dissection table then being pursued by a mob of angry pathology doctors anxious to get his organs (which, of course, were supposed to be donated) are priceless, as is the bit of how Stu quickly copes with his broken-neck problem. There's a lot to look at here, and although the characters themselves are rather cardboard (and Fraser himself, while amiable, might be a little miscast), I think this was an overlooked movie. It has everything Cool World had back in 1991, except it also has (pardon the pun) a soul. This one made you like Stu and root for him, which is (of course) essential to any silly comedy. This one's just a silly comedy with some bite to it.

For Lots of Laughs (Go Somewhere Else)

[jhclues · 1/10 · 18 July 2001]

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. I rate this one 1/10.

A Beautiful Nightmare

[EmperorNortonII · 9/10 · 14 October 2001]

"Monkeybone" is one of the most visually stimulating movies I've seen in quite a while! Its run in theaters was too brief, which doesn't do a movie like this justice. The imagery was surreal and disturbing, in a nice sort of way. It was interesting to see the strange denizens of Downtown, the mythological characters, the dead celebrities and so many others. The animated Monkeybone keeps the action and the comedy at a fever pitch. It all may have been too much for the average moviegoer. But I say this weird kaleidoscope is worth a look. You won't believe your eyes!

Provides enough positives to outweigh the negatives; worth a watch to experience the dazzling images-but I would not see it again for free. *** (out of four)

[Movie-12 · 7/10 · 3 March 2001]

MONKEYBONE / (2001) *** (out of four)

By Blake French:

"Monkeybone" takes us on an energetic and lively roller-coaster ride through the bizarre mind of a troubled cartoonist trapped inside a nightmare of his vary own imagination. The film is somewhat bad in its storytelling ability, but the filmmaking and creative juices save this otherwise preposterous picture. Henry Selick, the genius behind similar movies like "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "James and the Giant Peach," once again uses a variety of eye-popping, indulgent gimmickry to provide a delight for the senses. Model puppets, elaborate set designs, computer animation, stop-action photography, claymation, convincing and complex makeup, far out costumes and even some nifty voice effects preside the entertainment of "Monkey Bone." Selick creates a world so full of energy and inventive characters that it justifies the movie's existence.

Brendan Fraser makes another fool of himself as Stu Miley, a modest cartoonist who finally achieves success and does not know what to do with it. His long time girlfriend, Julie (Bridget Fonda), comforts, loves him and is ecstatic when Stu's cartoon primate creation, Monkeybone, a wisecracking and obscene libido portraiture, becomes a national television show. His manager wants to market the franchise big time, but Stu wants his simple life to stay simple with one major change: he wants to marry Julie.

Before he has a chance to propose, a car accident leaves Stu in a coma and his spirit plunged into a weird, subconscious world called Downtown, a waiting place while a person is between life and death. The carnival-like realm inhabits a variety of unusual characters, like Kitty (Rose McGowan from "Jawbreaker") an attractive waitress dressed in a feline furnish, Hypnos (Giancarlo Esposito) the half-man, half-goat ruler of Downtown, Death (Whoopi Goldberg) the cynical head honcho who determines the visitor's fate, and even the concoction of his own imagination-the aggravating nuisance himself: Monkeybone (voiced by John Turturro).

Back on planet earth, Julie struggles to keep Stu's fanatic sister (Megan Mullally) from pulling his plug. Stu conceives a plan to escape Downtown by stealing an exit pass from none other than Death herself. He tries, gets the pass, but Monkeybone betrays his crafty creator and takes it for himself. Now inhabiting the body of Stu, Monkeybone is free to wreak havoc on Stu's lifestyle. While Stu himself possesses the body of a dead gymnast (Chris Kattan from "House on Haunted Hill") to save what is left of his relationship with Julie.

The scenes depicting Stu's nightmare reality are absolutely extraordinary. The artful sets, special effects, costumes, animation, and makeup are some of the most intricate and tasty examples of effective eye-candy. It's like we've entered an imaginative dreamscape of zany and entertaining characters. Everyone involved feels alive and inexhaustible, especially Brendan Fraser in a very effective performance. Monkeybone himself is quite annoying-but in a fun kind of way. The involving and fresh atmosphere make this world a memorable movie experience.

There are several hilarious sequences, one involving a dog's nightmare where several of his feline nemeses secure him and prepare to detach his manhood, and another when a walking organ donor loses his guts during a fight sequence. By now you are probably realizing, despite the cartoon qualities, this movie is not intended for small children. "Monkeybone" contains all sorts of sexual innuendoes, horrific concepts, and suggestive situations. During the screening I attended, a woman instructed her three young children to leave the theater. However, the movie is clearly too goofy and comical for serious, mature audiences-so what is the target audience?

"Monkeybone" provides enough positives to outweigh the negatives. The production is worth a watch to experience some of the dazzling images-but I would not see it again for free.

I hated this

[saint405 · 1/10 · 2 July 2005]

Monkeybone is a stupid wacky comedy twist love story with a cartoonist who is put into a coma and his creation of a cartoon monkey possess his body and plans to drug the world of nightmares for ghouls in mystical lands to enjoy for all eternity. Now this comedy is flat out lame, nothing cool here. Brendan Fraiser as cartoonist Stu Miley was embarrassing and Cris Katan as the possessed corpse was low. The monkey looks like clay, clay animation, but he's nothing but a perverted primate. The mystical creatures look like rubber costumes with people underneath them. The love interest is a whine bag and the sister of Stu was a total jerk wanting to kill her brother in a coma. Whoopi Goldberg is mildly amusing as Death but she gets boring along with her pet pug. The only funny cast member is the guy playing Stephen King, he got a laugh out of me. Yes that's only one laugh out of the whole film! Now the story is stupid and cheesy. The special affects are horrible, not even good enough for the Sci Fi channel. No good jokes except for a few good one liners. "We don't want to hurt you we just want your organs!" Now skip this film, it's an order! Stupid film, bad cast, horrid affects, lame acting, and what the heck was with the directing? Monkeybone gets the 1 out of 10, lame-o. Skip this one at command, it reeks. You won't regret it for sure.

This movie is way better than the reviews it gets!

[mcmmagpie · 16 February 2009]

OK, I couldn't just sit back and let these bad reviews tarnish this movie and perhaps keep someone from watching it. I can't even begin to describe Monkeybone and how it makes me feel and where it takes me when I watch it. I own it on DVD and have bought several copies for others.

I have watched this movie countless times and literally see something new each time. You are supposed to feel anxious and uneasy, that is kind of the whole point of the movie! Stu is lost in a nightmare and trapped with all of the things we imagine in a dreamworld. It really isn't that disturbing and both my son and my niece hold this movie very close to their hearts. You see, instead of Barney or the like they wanted Monkeybone over and over.

And anyone who thinks kids shouldn't watch it needs to lighten up.(Someone actually thought the opening sequence about a kid getting an erection over his teachers arm fat was too inappropriate to mention. My god, I am glad they weren't my parent is all I can say!)

I loved these kinds of movies when I was a kid and that is probably why love it so much. I think all the actors are hilarious and do a great job pulling off their roles; Chris Kattan gets me every time!

Selick sells himself short

[fireof1989 · 4/10 · 26 December 2010]

Henry Selick is a very talented man. He proved this talent when he directed "A Nightmare Before Christmas" (It's a shame so many fans of that movie just assume Tim Burton directed it and ignore Selick's achievement.) and made great use of his team of talented animators to bring Burton's original idea to life. Selick once again proved himself a good director with the stunted but visually stunning (And still somewhat enjoyable) adaptation of "James & The Giant Peach." Recently, Selick did yet another fantastic piece of cinema with "Coraline;" but in-between James & The Giant Peach and Coraline... there was Monkeybone.

Something tells me Selick regrets this one. Monkeybone is a film in which Selick sells himself short. His talents are on display in several portions of the film, and yet some portions are clumsily directed. Yet even if the whole film had been as visually impressive as his other works and as tightly directed, the movie would still fail with the script it is given. I have not read the graphic novel "Dark Town," so maybe I should cut the script-writers some slack and blame whoever wrote "Dark Town" for inspiring this lazy, immature, and often annoying script.

The film follows animator Stu Miley, creator of a popular animated show called "Monkeybone," about a mischievous and perverted monkey that lives inside a timid students backpack. Stu gets in a car accident, and is sent into a coma. He soon finds himself in an abstract and insane underworld where he meets Monkeybone, who promptly sets out to drive Stu (and the viewers) insane. Stu wants to return home, but is duped by a devil in pajamas named Hypno - who instead, sends Monkeybone into Stu's body.

The problem with Monkeybone is that the "humor" if you will, is immature and insulting. We are shown a Monkeybone cartoon early on, and it is cringe worthy. It baffles me how some people in the movie claim that the show is a children's cartoon as it is wildly inappropriate; and more-over, I don't know how any adult could laugh at such juvenile material. The cartoon focuses on how the Student is sexually attracted to his old teachers huge, sagging flaps of arm fat. He gets an erection, and Monkeybone (Who more or less is an anthropomorphic erection. Goody.) pops out and starts harassing the teacher while the student is humiliated for his quite visible erection. Funny? No? Well, get used to that kind of humor and trust me, it gets worse unless you REALLY like fart jokes.

It is a shame that so much talent has to be wasted here. Brendan Fraser is actually fairly likable as Stu Miley (However when Monkeybone takes over his body, he becomes annoying and only makes Monkeybone's character more annoying as well.) and Selick has once again brought on board tons of playful and creative visuals. Monkeybone is animated quite well using stop-motion, and arguably the best part of the whole picture is the underworld and its abstract, bizarre, and downright weird denizens. There are even a few jokes that work through these weird visuals, like the Grim-Reapers mode of transportation being a little tricycle or how the gate leading back to the real world is known as "The Great Emancipator" and fittingly, the exit appears as a giant Abraham Lincoln head. There is also a genuinely disturbing (Yet memorable) scene in which Stu is forced into one of the nightmares that he himself painted years ago, where Selick shows off yet another fantastic visual effect that only makes me wish the films script was redeemable.

However, when the film takes place in our world - it is clumsily directed and is made twice as painful to sit through due to the lack of any creative visuals. Monkeybone was already annoying in the underworld, but when he takes Stu's body - actor Brendan Fraser goes from likable to cringe worthy. The on-going shtick is that Monkeybone is still an animal, and acts like one and is hyper-active, perverted, and crude. One of the most insultingly idiotic scenes is when Monkeybone gets turned on by watching animals mate on The Discover Channel, and then we are forced to a 5 minute scene of him doing a bizarre sexual display in nothing but his underpants hooting like a monkey and doing a mix of dancing and animalistic moves. Barf. Oh, and did I mention he wants to give everyone nightmares by giving out monkey bone toys that fart nightmare gas? Yeah.

All in all this is bad - really, really bad. I would have given it a rating of 2 if it had not been for the fantastic visuals in the underworld, and one genuinely funny scene where Stu is in prison in the underworld and runs into the likes of Stephen King and Genghis Khan. That means this gets a 4. It's a shame because you can catch glimpses of Selick's talents, but the script is just too clumsy, offensive, and rude to be enjoyable.

Monkeyboner

[gothicgoblin1334 · 1/10 · 19 April 2006]

After James and The Giant Peach and The Nightmare Christmas, Henry Selick left Burton's style of animation and tried to pursue his 'own' 'kid-friendly' career in film-making. Boy, that was a Mistake! Monkeybone is the worst piece of garbage ever put on film, the comic sucked (don't read it! For God's sake don't read it!) and the making a film with Branden Fraiser??!! Oh Christ, you know there's going to be trouble! Well, The film surely is rude and crude and I don't see how it's Kid-Friendly....The film really sucks, it doesn't deserve better and a desperate company like 20TH Century Fox picked this up and the Film Bombed! Take that, Henry Selick! For working as an animator for Disney and trying to direct Coraline you stupid bastard!!!! Anyway, the plot is thin and John what-his-name Redneck does an awful job as the voice of a Monkey, or sorry, Animated Monkey. That's right folks. Bridget Fonda can really do better than this. Well, Henry Selick this is what you get for taking your 'abilites' to make a big-budget film adapting a low-life's comic

Relies too much on juvenile humor

[cricketbat · 4/10 · 30 July 2021]

Monkeybone has a unique & creative look, with a story that could have been really entertaining. However, it relies so much on juvenile humor and the comedy falls flat on its face. I still have no idea for which age group this movie was intended. I guess it goes to show that spending a lot of money on production design and visual effects doesn't make a movie great.

Terrible comedy, animation masterpiece

[itamarscomix · 7/10 · 24 May 2005]

Monkeybone is without doubt one of the most underrated and badly-marketed films of recent years. The DVD cover was very misleading, and made it look like a tasteless B-comedy; the names of Brendan Fraser, Bridget Fonda and Chris Kattan didn't do much good either. I never would have dreamed of picking it up in the video store if it wasn't for the director, his name hardly even noticeable on the back cover.

Henry Selick is the man responsible for two of the most remarkable animation features of the 90s - James and the Giant Peach and The Nightmare Before Christmas (Tim Burton's vision, sure, but ultimately Selick's film). Both were sardonic, immensely stylish animated films and had some of the most wonderfully designed cartoon characters I've ever seen. Watching Monkeybone proves beyond doubt that even though Burton was the main brain behind The Nightmare Before Christmas, as far as design and character creation goes, most of the credit for the brilliant animation work should go to Mr. Selick. On Monkeybone Selick decided to make his first attempt at directing live actors, and does less than well. Aside from having a not very impressive lead actor in Brendan Fraser, most of the live action part of the film is - despite some moments of inspiration - not much more then slapstick and low-brow comedy. Sure, you may get a couple of cheap laughs out of Chris Kattan and Dave Foley, maybe even from Fraser (one of my least favorite actors, actually), but that section of the film is nothing to write home about.

However... about half the film takes place in a fantasy world called Downtown, a place where the comatose souls live, waiting to die or to awaken into the real world. Not only is that world designed in the most wonderful sardonic humor of Henry Selick's previous exploits, it's horded with one of the most wonderful casts of animated monsters I've ever seen - one that would make Jim Henson proud. Selick does not once give in to computer generated animation; all of the characters are entirely mechanical. Real life animated figures have a feel to them that computerized characters could never have - the kind of feel the characters on Nightmare have or in Henson classics like Dark Crystal and Storyteller. Each of the monster characters in Monkeybone is an intricately designed, finely crafted living creature with immense personality. The fascinating extras on the DVD include a wonderful gallery of sketches for each of those characters, as well as an inside look on how they were created - there are some original and brilliant technical solutions for some of the characters. John Torturro supplies Monkeybone's hilarious voice in a performance that reminds me slightly of his memorable appearance in Miller's Crossing, and Whoopi Goldberg grants a lovely cameo.

If you're reading this, you're one of two - either you're a Brendan Fraser or Chris Kattan fan, in which case you're likely to enjoy the slapstick humor of the real world section of the film, or you've heard about the film or about Henry Selick and are into it for the animation and design. From the point of view of an animator or anyone who is interested in the more classic side of animation, Monkeybone is a fascinating watch. Don't expect it to be another Nightmare Before Christmas, but try to ignore some of the dumb jokes and cheesy humor, and really get a load of the incredible work done on it. They just don't make animation like this anymore.

By the way: The Amazon.com editorial review said Fraser plays 'the best-looking cartoonist you'll ever see'. Wrong! You forgot one important precedent - Brad Pitt in Cool World. And the similarities between the two movies don't stop there. The design and styling, though, are entirely different.

Am I in terrible land, or what?

[OriginalMovieBuff21 · 3/10 · 17 October 2004]

Monkeybone got me really furious on the director of how he could make a film like this one. Brendan Fraser needs to start making more better films and funnier ones like he did in Bedazzled. The story couldn't have gone any worse and the acting couldn't have been any dull and it is worse than the story. Out of those negatives that I have given you, there are a few positives. One is that the animation was crisp and had barely any flaws in that and the other is that some scenes were funny like when Brendan Fraser is making out with that girl on the bed and others but that was it. Don't really see this movie because it will kind of ruin you day and waste your time

Hedeen's outlook: 3/10 No Stars F

Pretty good, I thought

[wefweofla · 7/10 · 15 March 2005]

I thought it was funny and cute, and I definitely preferred BF as Monkeybone to BF as Stu Miley. Did anybody else get turned on when M/bone was doing his number with the bed frame? Is it me? Let's face it, Shakespeare it's not, but the acting was good, BF, Bridget Fonda and Megan Mullally were all excellent, the premise was interesting - I'm going to get the DVD, as the version I saw, Bravo, I think, was very chopped about. There should have been more raunchy stuff, since that was the entire idea behind the movie, I guess they chickened out. Did I mention the bit with BF on the bed frame - why did Bridget Fonda roll out of the way when he jumped - what a missed opportunity? I'm going to look for the DVD tomorrow.

Horrible... Disgracefully bad. A waste of brilliant actors and my time!

[bopdog · 1/10 · 23 February 2001]

I was so excited to see this movie. And I was sooooo disappointed! It stank. It was mean spirited, ugly, poorly written,... oh why bother to go on? Suffice it to say that I am outraged and really angry at how genuinely crappy this movie is. I LOVE the actors in it... Brendan Fraser and Bridget Fonda have been in some wonderful stuff. I treasure even their light hearted fare, such as Fraser's "George of the Jungle" or "Blast From the Past." Fonda is always good too. I enjoyed her in "Camilla" (Jessica Tandy's last movie), and even in the cumbersome "Little Buddha" (however you spell it). But this clunker stunk! Shame on the whomevers who wrote it or directed it or edited it-- someone owes me $8 and two hours of my life back. I gave this a 1 out of 10, because IMdb doesn't allow voting with negative numbers.

Original,fascinating ,daring comedy.

[davidwitkovic · 10/10 · 14 April 2002]

I have recently viewed Monkeybone on VHS and DVD. I was happy to see Hollywood take artistic chances in a big budget film. Henry Selick is to be congratulated on getting most of his vision on screen. The DVD showed what it could have been if fully realised. The cast was excellent with two bravura performances by Brendan Fraser and Chris Kattan.They cemented the film into a wonderfully dark comic piece.This is a difficult balance to develop and maintain. The TOWNTOWN sets were very suggestive and multilayered as our subconscience is as well.More would have been even better. This reminded me of the Salvador Dali sets created for Alfred Hitchcock's SPELLBOUND. There,too, the producer,David O.Selznick, got cold feet in not using all the sets which would have made the film a landmark piece.Again,afraid what audiences will accept.Please continue in breaking new ground. Thank you.

A gloriously misfire and an amazing visual ride - you'll either love it or hate it

[intelearts · 6/10 · 17 May 2008]

Monkeybone is original no denying that.

It seems to be geared to get a reaction - every pore in the first forty minutes is explored for it surreal quality - creatures of another world abound.

If you like your films to be unusual and wacky then this is the film for you - Hellzapoppin meets Erasurehead with a rom-com gooey middle - just weirdly wonderful, and sometimes just plain weird.

Not horrific at all it is like watching a circus show - and the energy is palpable - definitely worth viewing if you've never seen it, just don't expect to be just entertained this is ALice in Wonderland for a new generation and very, very strange medicines are involved...

Great if you're in the mood, you'll hate it otherwise...

Henry Selick You Idiot!

[bbSouthstreet · 3/10 · 18 July 2001]

OK, when I first heard about this film being directed by Henry Selick, the director of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas I was hyped up. The story sounded original, the animation was creative but when I saw the movie it was a bomber. This movie was supposed be dark and artsy since it was directed by the man who brought us Nightmare but instead it turned out to be a stupid teen comedy movie. Where does Henry Selick get the gall to use the amazing artistics used in the Nightmare Before Christmas to make an unintelligent movie of pure dribble like this? It's inhuman I tell you and I'm sure I'm not alone here. People, please save your money for something useful like a book or a better movie.