Fun and informative, low-stress movie to watch, with good narration.

In this latest outing by Disneynature, we meet Maya, a monkey who is an outcast to her own troop. Through pure determination and perseverance however, she survives and thrives. After she finds a mate, who is later runoff by the other monkeys; and becomes a mother to Kip, she continues her fight, even against the greatest odds. Even after being forcibly moved by a neighboring troop to a new home, and having to fight for survival and even traveling into a human village.It is while Maya and the other monkeys are in the human village that they get into a lot of mischief. Very entertaining and fun movie for the whole family.My only fault with the film is that the voice of Tina Fey can make you want to fall asleep.

Monkey Kingdom (2015): Dir: Mark Linfield, Alastair Fothergill / Narrator: Tina Fey: Another fascinating Disney Nature documentary. This one is set within the jungles of Sri Lanka that homes a clan of macaque monkeys. Narrator Tina Fey points out the status lifestyle of these creatures sighting that the leading alpha male eats highest in the trees with the choicest food. From there it descends in rank, which unfortunately places Maya on the ground under the watchful scowls of the "sisters." Eventually she is courted by Kumar, a visiting macaque that is quickly banished for his curiosity but not before getting Maya pregnant. Her son Kip is born but it is a struggle to provide food at the lowest rank. This results in an exciting, amusing and adventurous film where the macaques are faced with all sorts of issues. They are stalked by a leopard early on, which they escape although they are not so lucky with a monitor lizard during a river sequence. They are attacked by a rival group that forces them to risk entering a nearby city. They approach this with caution as they steal food from angry humans that view them as pests. When the city becomes too overwhelming they decide to return to the jungle and fight to reclaim their rightful home. Beautifully filmed with a variety of wildlife throughout, and a well told informative narrative that gives insight to the struggles these creatures face daily. It is another triumph from the studio that brought us such treasures as Bears, Chimpanzee and African Cats. This is equally fine family viewing or for animal lovers curious to see the chaotic lifestyles going on outside our society. Score: 10 / 10

Monkey Kingdom. Another magnificent slice of Disney magic has just hit the big screen, this time a Disney Nature production the Monkey Kingdom. The Temple Troop of Sri Lankan monkeys has a social hierarchy that could put Washington DC to shame. At the bottom of that social ladder is the fantastic Maya. One day a handsome young male interloper happens by the Temple Troop. His name is Kumar and he immediately captures the full and complete attention of Maya. They share a mutual affection but Kumar is soon driven from the troop by the ruling alpha male and upper tier ladies. Nevertheless Kumar leaves more than just a memory as several months after his departure Maya gives birth to their son Kip.The harsh realities of jungle life are beautifully displayed by the Disney film makers and charmingly told with the narration by Tina Fey and the brilliant direction of Mark Linfield and Alastair Fothergill. As time goes on the charmed life of the Temple Troop is deeply disrupted by a competitive group of insurgent monkeys who drive the Temple Troop from their home. Upon fleeing their jungle home the Temple Troop soon finds itself having to deal with an urban jungle in Sri Lanka. They adapt and they survive largely due to the skills of Maya and her solid commitment to her little monkey son Kip. But they cannot remain forever in the city and soon they head back with the intent to recapture their jungle home. On their way back they are rejoined by Kumar who ultimately emerges as the new alpha male leader of the troop and the loving mate of Maya.It's all cute and charming, of course, but in truth it is far more powerful than that. I saw in both Kumar and Maya something we can all learn and benefit from. That something is an unstoppable will. Maya was never going to abandon her son. She was also not going to simply accept life as an urban monkey but rather was committed to a successful return to her jungle home. Kumar, while once driven from his beloved Maya was not about to forever leave her. He returned the his Maya and their son Kip and he soon changed from outcast to Troop leader because he was blessed with an unstoppable will. That message alone is well worth the movie. And happily there is so much more.It has all of the beauty and joy common in Disney nature films, but it also has one of the most powerful of all messages to the world. Never ever quit. Against all odds don't back down.