George of the Jungle

Keep in mind that this glowing review may be just a case of exceeded expectations. Mine were so low when I saw this at the local second-run theater, I would have been happy if the film was in focus. Or: This may just be one of the year's nicest surprises. The playful spirit of the original Jay Ward cartoons is reverently preserved (Nobody gets killed in this movie, the narrator assures us. They just get big boo-boos). Brendan Fraser was born to play klutzy jungle man George ("Watch out for that tree!"), Leslie Mann makes a charmingly dizzy Ursula, John Cleese is the voice of George's ever-exasperated mentor, Ape; and Shep, the elephant who thinks he's a dog, is a special-effects wonder. Some of the jokes may just blind-side you as they did me. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)