It’s here! Disneynature‘s MONKEY KINGDOM opens today in theaters, April 17. I had the opportunity to screen this film while I was in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago and it’s fantastic. Such an amazing look at the intricacies of nature and these monkeys are just adorable. You’ll fall in love with them! This is the week to get to the theater and see the film, too. Here’s why:
See MONKEY KINGDOM opening week (April 17-23) and Disneynature will make a donation in your honor to Conservation International to help protect monkeys and other endangered species in their natural habitats. You can learn more here.
A Thank You from Disneynature
One thing I learned about these Disneynature movies is that they are really made as a way to bring awareness about these animals and their struggles, particularly endangered animals, to the public. They want to make a difference by showing a side of nature that we don’t always get to see as a way to get people interested in protecting the animals and habitats that they feature. I absolutely love this. We are such animal lovers in my family and not only are entertained by these movies, but educated too. Disneynature is making it so easy for us to help – just go see the movie opening week and they’ll take care of the donation!
Here’s a little more info on giving back for Earth Day with Disneynature. Click the image above to enlarge for an easier read. That necklace is the most adorable thing ever!
Life is an adventure for Maya, the clever and resourceful blonde-bobbed monkey in “Monkey Kingdom,” Disneynature’s new feature film set among ancient ruins in the storied jungles of South Asia. Maya’s world is forever changed when she welcomes her son, Kip, into her complicated extended family. Like all families, Maya’s has more than its share of colorful personalities—and she’s determined to give her son a leg up in the world. When their longtime home at Castle Rock is taken over by powerful neighboring monkeys, Maya’s whole family is forced to relocate, and she uses her street smarts and ingenuity to lead them to untapped resources amidst strange new creatures and unsettling surroundings. Ultimately, they will all have to work together to reclaim Castle Rock, where Maya can hopefully realize her dreams for her son’s future.
Disneynature’s MONKEY KINGDOM – Trailer
My Review
They’re so cute, aren’t they? As I’m sure you know, nature isn’t all cute animals and furry babies. This movie is awesome, a really unique insiders’ look at this group of monkeys. What I would remind you of is that it’s a nature documentary, and it’s definitely sweet and entertaining (what’s more entertaining than a group of monkeys?!), there are some ugly realities in nature. You won’t see any main characters meet a horrible end, but there are dangers in the woods, predators, and a hierarchy of monkeys that mean not everyone always gets treated very well. Even in light of the harsh reality of the jungle, I truly loved the film.
The main character is Maya, a macaque monkey, and it’s a great comeback story with a message I can relate to: Don’t mess with mama. She goes to great lengths to protect her baby Kip and as a mother, I could empathize with her the whole way through. The movie is narrated by Tina Fey, also a mama bear (er, monkey?!) and she does a great job of keeping it factual with a bit of fun and humor in the mix.
The film takes place in Sri Lanka, and while interviewing Disneynature Marketing Lead Paul Baribault and Consultant Kristina Reed (Academy Award winning Producer of FEAST), we asked how the filmmakers got so close to the animals and managed such an incredible view into their lives. It turns out this particular group of monkeys has been under study for over 40 years so they were pretty accustomed to humans being close by. And since they’ve been observed for so long, they had a pretty good idea of which monkeys to keep an eye on to see a story develop. And they nailed it! Obviously you can’t write a script and direct monkeys in their natural habitat so it was really cool that they captured this story and knew just who to follow with their cameras.
I highly recommend taking the whole family to see MONKEY KINGDOM. This is the kind of up-close-and-personal look at nature that my kids love. It’s entertaining and educational – the best way to learn, right?!
Educators – teachers, homeschoolers, parents, or anyone who wants to have fun learning more – download the entire Disneynature MONKEY KINGDOM Educator’s Guide to get fun activity pages and more in depth info. It’s FREE, and it includes nearly 100 pages of lessons and activities targeted to grades 2 through 6.
Remember, for every ticket sold opening week (April 17-23, 2015), Disneynature will make a donation to Conservation International to help protect monkeys and other endangered species in their natural habitats. Such an easy (and fun!) way for us to lend a hand! You can stay up to speed with the latest Disneynature news by following on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Disneynature’s MONKEY KINGDOM is in theaters now!
Retweet and tell your friends! 😀
.@Disneynature MONKEY KINGDOM is in theaters today! My review: #MonkeyKingdom #InsideOutEvent http://t.co/trxedGYQki pic.twitter.com/caBkxVtBfd
— Lindsay (@SeeMomClick) April 17, 2015
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