A baby chimp is captured in the jungles of Africa and sent to the University of Wisconsin. Psych researcher Teri MacDonald (Helen Hunt) names him Virgil and teaches him sign language. A year later, her grant doesn't get renewed and she loses Virgil. She's told that Virgil is going to a children's zoo but instead, he goes to Lockridge Air Force Base in Florida. Pilot Jimmy Garrett (Matthew Broderick) gets a reprieve after stealing a plane to fly a girl on a date. He's brought to take care of the chimpanzees. He thinks Dr. Carroll (William Sadler) is teaching them how to fly but he's doing much more.It's a touching movie with Broderick providing a good young lead. Hunt is the pleading liberal heart. It's a touching animal rights movie with its own Star Trek II death moment and loads of chimps. It has the feel of WarGames with Broderick being the same smartalecky young guy. The chimps are compelling with their own personalities which keeps the crazy ending somewhat believable. The alleged animal abuse during the filming is disturbing but I'm not going to subtract from my vote here. I'm just voting based on what's on the screen.

Hence the problem with the movie. It kind of reminds me of another Matthew Brodderick movie "Wargames" in that it starts out as a comedy then takes a turn to another genre and the comedy does not really come back after this turn of events. It did not really hurt that film, but it really hurts this one. Just seems to me you are going to put monkeys in your movie that it should be a comedy and a comedy the family can enjoy without having to explain the darker scenes and why the film is just not funny anymore. The story starts as this pilot is caught in an embarrassing situation and his punishment is to train chimps how to fly in a secret government project. A rather pointless project that you would figure any scientist could have brought the questions Brodderick's character does in the film about said film. There are some funny things during the film's first half though nothing hysterical. Just basic monkey stuff, which kids would enjoy. Then after Brodderick witnesses the project first hand all the humor disappears and so does any reason you might want your kid to watch this film as it does become more of a drama and if they are not severely upset by the film they will be severely bored with the movie.

Matthew Broderick, Helen Hunt. An Air Force pilot rescues smart chimps from lab experiments at a strategic-weapons research center, but then has to figure out what to do with them.This film will break your heart, if you have a love for animals. You are introduced to the chimps (they're given CHARACTER development, if you can dig it), then you are shown what happens TO the chimps in this research center, and then you are shown what happens because of this treatment. Once you are emotionally invested in the premise, the tension of the surrounding atmosphere begins to build until the climactic crescendo.This is actually not as bad as I remembered, but not as good as I hoped, watching from a more mature perspective. The performances are typical of the time, perhaps a tad better, but this work is horribly dated, as is practically everything from that era. I wouldn't say it rates a remaking, as it's fine as it is, but someone will in order to carry a "fresh" message that what goes on in these laboratories is wrong. Eventually, we'll see posters and ad blurbs for Project NeXt or something like that.All in all, it's good for a rainy Sunday, but don't set your hopes real high, and ... in spite of the levity , heartwarming moments, and the kid-friendly ratings, this is NOT for younger (or tender) children, who could be traumatized for years by the treatment these chimps receive. It rates a 6.8/10 from...the Fiend :.

I really enjoyed this movie, despite what cynics, bigots and critics say, who can't appreciate a drama that stands on it's own two feet. It may be regarded as a "chick flick," but it's designed for those who have a heart, who have feelings. I saw this movie as a kid and recently bought it on DVD; I enjoy it now, just as much as I did when I was younger.I realize that what was done in this movie has been done already in real life years ago, by the US Air Force, but this is a movie--it should be taken lightly as one.The soundtrack is important in most movies and does great justice to this one. You'd have to appreciate composers of classical music, such as Horner, to appreciate this one. The acting was good and the chimps steal about half of the scenes because it's mostly about them.I wonder how PETA felt about this movie. I just don't want to hear or read about them whining about anyone harming the chimps...