Anytime a piece of art is created that stands the test of time, there is always (lurking behind it) an interesting creation story. That is exactly what is told in "Monkey Business"...the creation of the Curious George character by Hans & Margret Rey.This documentary examines the story of how the Rey's grew up, eventually found each other and married, escaped from pre-WWII Europe, and found their way to America where, after a time, the Curious George character entered into the cultural lexicon. The filmmakers really do a great job of making the Rey's story interesting, as well as adding in some wonderful animations/graphics of their own to make it visually appealing as well.Another real staple of this doc is its ability to not "pull any punches" when it comes to discussing the Rey's, as they are examined warts and all. Margret is especially portrayed in a sometimes unfavorable light (in terms of overall personality), but that is something that is also echoed "across the board" from all the interviewees, so it feels authentic. It's not disrespectful at all, so I would rather have that than a rosy, saint-like portrayal of everyone involved.As a child, I went through my own Curious George phase (hasn't everyone?!), so it was very interesting for me to now see, as an adult, the process it took for the character to be fully realized. This is a doc that can easily be enjoyed by the entire family as well. Documentary work nearly at its finest is on display throughout.

While the story of Hans and Margaret Reyersbach and their creation, Curious George, is an interesting story, the best reason to watch this film is because it was made so incredibly well. This stylish documentary really impressed me--with lovely drawings done in Hans' style, great camera work, wonderful interviews as well as archival footage and the Reyersbach's original work all work together to present a never dull story. What I also appreciate is that it was, at times, no holds barred...meaning that while it celebrates their work, it also is truthful enough to acknowledge that Margaret was, in some ways, an awful person! Warts and all...a sign of an objective study of the individuals. Well worth seeing.

This movie tells the story of the Reys and their creation of Curious George. It open my eyes to the how and why the Reys created this series of stories. It also connects to the modern day by taking about living your passion and showing the human side of these two people. The movie uses all types of media with photos, original interviews, animation and modern interviews of people that new the Reys. It combines these media to help tell the story and it also makes the story work for young and old. It connects with the book series in a truly perfect way. I would highly recommend this to people that want to learn more about the creators of Curious George or for people that would like to have an inspiring tale to help with your own life.

This is a well-made documentary about the couple Hans and Margaret Rey, the creators of the famous children's books about the adventures of the little monkey Curious George. It shows, in a quite original way, how this book character was brought to life by its makers and how it actually saved their lives. Being from Jewish descent, Hans and Margaret fled Europe just in time to escape the persecutions by the Nazi's, but bringing with them as their gift to the free world, the first manuscript about the adventures of a small curious monkey. Stories that have settled in the minds of millions of children and their children's children. Definitely recommended.