Curious George Swings Into Spring

A Curious George story in which the troublemaking chimp blunders his way into mischief is hardly a surprise; indeed, George—the lovable if accident-prone character created by authors Hans Augusto Rey and Margret Rey in 1939—has several such silly moments in this original animated feature film, including inadvertently opening a valve that releases steam through an apartment building. But for the most part, George is constructively occupied here, trying to get his pal, a rather solemn dachshund named Hundley, to loosen up and enjoy the coming of spring. Hundley, a “lobby dog” who stands ceremoniously beside his friendly doorman master during the latter's duties, doesn't approve of George's idea of fun. But when a plumbing disaster ties up the doorman for a few days, Hundley ends up accompanying George and the chimp's guardian, the Man with the Yellow Hat, on a trip to the country, where spring means an explosion of flowers, sunshine, and bunnies, as well as an annual hot air balloon festival. Most of the action takes place in pastoral settings, as George manages to get Hundley to relax, explore, and play, although—not surprisingly—George does become terribly curious about those balloons, leading to more adventure and comic mayhem. Recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)