Will Ferrell plays sidekick to an inquisitive monkey in cartoon adventure Curious George. But even the current King Of Comedy couldn't turn this "perfunctory" adaptation of a 40s book series into a big screen hit. Along with the absence of a compelling story, it may have been the retro animation that dissuaded moviegoers who've grown accustomed to more lavish CG spectacles.

What's The Point?

Just one featurette accompanies the film on DVD and it plays like a thinly veiled commercial for Volkswagen. After talking briefly about the 40s "caricatured look" of the film, director Matthew O'Callaghan and his animation team explain the design for the car that Ted (Ferrell) borrows from Clovis (Eugene Levy).

Apparently it's based on a VW truck except that it's "a little bit softer" and "a little bit rounder" to fit in with George's cosy world. In addition we're told that the blinking headlights are intended to bring "personality" to the vehicle. That's it.

At barely five minutes in length, this is hardly a detailed look beneath the bonnet. Film fans curious about every other aspect of this production will be sorely disappointed.

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