Deep in the African jungle, a baby named George, the sole survivor of a plane crash, is raised by gorillas. George grows up to be a buff and lovable klutz who has a rainforest full of animal friends: Tookie, his big-beaked toucan messenger; Ape, a witty talking gorilla; and Shep, a peanut-loving pooch of an elephant. But when poachers mess with George's pals, the King of Swing swings into action.
_**Brendan Fraser as a goofy Tarzan-like ape-man along with sweetie Leslie Mann**_
An expedition to the heart of the Dark Continent discovers a white man (Brendan Fraser) raised by apes. Captured by the wild man, it doesn’t take long for the heiress from San Francisco (Leslie Mann) to see that George is a better man than her arrogant, condescending fiancé (Thomas Hayden Church).
“George of the Jungle” (1997) is an over-the-top spoof of Tarzan inspired by the 60’s cartoon which I’ve never seen. You have to be able to appreciate fun, goofy humor to enjoy this quirky family comedy/adventure. It helps that Fraser is both likable and amusing in the eponymous role (I should add that he really inspires guys to improve their fitness). Meanwhile Mann is as sweet & beautiful as Bernadette Peters in her prime. Everything clicks for great entertainment; I laughed through practically the whole flick.
The film runs 1 hour, 32 minutes and was shot in Kaua'I & Maui, Hawaii, and the San Francisco Bay area, California, as well as other parts of that state (Middle Fork American River, Stockton & Los Angeles).
GRADE: A-