Monkeybone [DVD] [2001]: Amazon.co.uk: Brendan Fraser, Bridget Fonda, John Turturro, Chris Kattan, Giancarlo Esposito, Rose McGowan, Dave Foley, Megan Mullally, Bob Odenkirk, Pat Kilbane, Lisa Zane, Whoopi Goldberg, Henry Selick, Chris Columbus, Lata Ryan, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan, Kaja Blackley, Sam Hamm: Film & TV

Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Henry Selick’s Monkeybone is another of the director’s brave experiments in combining various forms of animation following his successes with The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach. Two-dimensional, stop-motion, CGI and muppetry effects whizz by with casual dazzle, but sometimes a collection of great ideas isn’t just enough for moviegoers, and audiences summarily dismissed Monkeybone at the cinema. Shame really, because the eye-popping design deserves as big a screen as possible to drink it all in.

Adapted from a graphic novel the story concerns cartoonist Stu Miley (a suitably schizophrenic Brendan Fraser) who finds himself in a hellish purgatory called Downtown after a freak car accident puts him in a coma. Once there, he must find a way to cheat Death in the person of Whoopi Goldberg. There are complications, however. In the real world his girlfriend (Bridget Fonda) is battling to prevent his family pulling the plug, and his comic character alter ego Monkeybone has come to life as a randy stop-motion whirligig of bad taste and ideas.

Although visually the film is a feast of inventive ideas--the amazing look of the Pyjama Party and the Land of Death are truly impressive--ultimately Monkeybone stands or falls by its sense of humour. But then it’s all a matter of taste. If the sight of a possessed organ donor jumping off the operating table and running around with a broken neck isn’t for you, avoid. If seeing Fraser ham it up as he’s enjoyed doing before in the likes of George of the Jungle, then enjoy!--Paul Tonks

DVD Description

DVD Special Features:

Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Language: English 5.1
Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired
Widescreen Version 16:9, 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio

From the Back Cover

It's rude! It's raunchy! It's totally outrageous! Brendan Fraser goes bananas in this balls-out comedy that breaks all the rules.

After a car crash sends repressed cartoonist Stu Miley (Fraser) into a coma, he and the mischievous Monkeybone, his hilariously horny alter-ego, wake up in a wacked waystation for lost souls. When Monkeybone takes over Stu's body and escapes to wreak havoc on the real world, Stu has to find a way to stop him before his sister pulls the plug on reality forever!

Bridget Fonda, Chris Kattan and Whoopi Goldberg co-star in this inventive blend of live action and stop-motion animation, loaded with must-see, eye popping special effects and some of the crudest, laugh out loud humour.