Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This Disney Studios (Disneynature) feature focuses on a community of about fifty macaque monkeys who inhabit the jungles of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. As they like to dwell around the ancient temple ruins near Castle Rock now overgrown by jungle flora, they are known in the film as the Temple Troop. These monkeys are bound by a caste system, a strict social order that determines even what they eat. In the most prized fig tree, only those at the top capture the best and ripest fruit. Raja, the alpha male, is the king, supported by the three queens (the "Sisterhood") who back him. They and their offspring get what they want. As we descend the tree, the lesser monkeys get the lesser produce. At the bottom of the fig tree lowly Maya gets the scraps. The "high-born" monkeys even get the sunnier, warmer branches while the others shiver on the colder ones below. Before the movie ends Maya will ascend the top of the tree. This is her story.Lone male monkey Kumar enters the group during mating season, but is expelled by the alpha monkey Raja. Six months later, his offspring through Maya is born ("Kip"). During the heavy downpours of the rainy season Castle Rock makes a great shelter for the alpha monkeys. But the others suffer from the cold and dampness. One day a year is feast time for the lowly, when the termites come out. Cassata leaves are tasty, but only for the alphas. Needing to eat to form milk for Kip, Maya goes to the lily pond, where there is food but also predators. She swims for the tasty lily-seed pods (underwater plants). Eventually Maya and friends enter a human house at the forest edge and take all kinds of foods and leave a mess.Kumar eventually returns, smarter and stronger. He brings jackfruit as a bribe to Raja, who accepts the gift. Raja will need Kumar as a rival monkey group moves in, led by Rex. But Lex's group wins by tactical trickery and Raja's clan has to evacuate. The troop travels beyond the forest to the city to regroup; Maya becomes a queen as she has learned to take food from the humans. The journey further blurs the distinction between high-born and low-born. Out of their element, the alphas are bewildered, and strong Kumar takes the lead. Fortified, the Troop is ready to return to Castle Rock and regain the lost homeland. At Castle Rock the Troop attacks. Lex's group retreats as Kumar lays his claim as King of the Castle. Along with him, Maya and Kip - and his new sister – will live well as alphas. During the end credits the macaque monkeys approach the cameramen and "inspect" camera equipment. Yes, there is anthropomorphizing as the narrative of Tina Fey imposes human emotions on these animals. After all, the characters are animals, not humans. Does Maya really fight to beat the odds, or did she just get lucky and mate with a strong male? And were some parts of the film staged, like, for instance, the birthday party invasion where the humans are outside but the monkeys (and camera crew) are inside? Still, the filmmakers do not interfere and allow the monkeys to do their part like realizing their social structure and capturing their intimate close-ups: eating, sleeping, grooming, and playing. We also see their interaction with other animals, such as a mongoose and a langur. Animals in the story include bears, deer, Asian elephants, and predators such as a leopard and a seven-foot long monitor lizard. Disney has always done well with animal documentaries going back to the "True-Life Adventures" series. This one should please animal lovers everywhere.

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.

This film is better for children than it is for adults. For adults, the star of the show is the beautiful Sri Lankan countryside more than it is the macaques. That being said, the macaques themselves aren't without their own curious charms, even if the anthropomorphism gets to be a touch much at times.The plot -- and I use the term loosely -- centres on a female macaque who becomes a mother for the first time and has to overcome hardship and marginalisation to come out on top. This being a Disney production, of course she manages to do so and the good guys prevail in the end. It's all rather incredulous at times, but it's nicely done, particularly for a younger audience. In the end, this film proves itself to be a good choice for you and your monkeys to watch at home.

Monkey Kingdom opened my mind to learning about animals in the wild! This is a great nature documentary, especially if you like monkeys and, contributions from ticket sales of this movie will help save the monkeys in south Asia. Monkey Kingdom begins with an explanation of how a certain group of monkeys live. Specifically, it focuses on Maya and her baby, who are considered the lowest of the group. It discusses their lifestyle, their routines and how they have to deal with the different seasons and the weather. They also talk about their struggle for survival. Finding food, especially for the ones at the bottom of the tree, is a challenge. These monkeys have a king and three queens. It is amazing that even though they are monkeys, they still have a social hierarchy. My favorite part of this movie is when all the monkeys are playing with each other and swinging from their homemade "original" jungle gym. I also like the part when the lower class runs out of food and have to find a way to survive. They locate the humans' house and raid their kitchen. They even confiscate all the eggs from the hen house!! It is hysterical to see a monkey running off with a sub sandwich.My favorite character is Kip, Maya's son! He is a cute baby monkey that is so innocent and, most of the time, has no idea what is going one. He depends on his mom for protection. Maya is on the low end of the social hierarchy. She is a female monkey with a nice personality unlike the three sister queens who act as if they own everything. I love how Maya protects her baby at all costs. Tina Fey is a wonderful narrator for this, giving a clear understanding of what is taking place.The thrust of this documentary is to raise money to help maintain the habitat of monkeys that live in the jungles of South Asia. I recommend this film for kids age 6 through 18. Both boys and girls will enjoy it because, who can resist watching monkeys play. I rate this movie a five out of five dazzling stars! Be sure to check it out when it comes out in theaters on April 17, 2015.Reviewed by Haley P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by kids, go to kidsfirst dot org.