The idea that this is Dr. Patterson's current study is a little misleading since the movie itself is 42 years old. I don't really know what to think about it. It is the study of an attempt to teach ASL to a gorilla and at the same time say the words aloud to see if the gorilla can recognize speech and sign language. One thing that struck me was after showing Koko various pieces of jewelry, Koko used sign language to describe a ring as a "finger bracelet." This was a story the doctor told, it was not shown in the film. This well worth seeing. I really cannot comment further on the quality of the film as a documentary or the worthiness of the project as a scientific study.
Review of Koko: A Talking Gorilla
