Think about it, getting real chimps and a gorilla to wear clothes and to act on cue! Perhaps some was fixed up later but seeing real animals acting in a movie is amazing!!! I didn't see the end, sounds sad, Like that the relative of the real animal owner posted a review!

Get your movie off me you damned dirty ape! Sorry to see the chimps exploited in the movie and I wonder where those chimps are now. That being said, the movie was sappy and disappointing. The costuming was great but the movie over all just feels meandering and pointless. There is almost a point where Russo's character realizes that she's abused this animal by having it live like a human but then she misses the realization in favor of the belief that she's somehow still in control of Buddy the gorilla. Would have made a decent Fatal Attractions episode but not a good full length feature film. Go see Chimpanzee instead.

I enjoyed the innocence of this film and how the characters had to deal with the reality of having a powerful animal in their midst. The gorilla looks just terrific, and the eyes were especially lifelike. It's even a little scary at times and should have children slightly frightened without going over the top. Rene Russo plays her role wonderfully feminine. Usually these type of Hollywood films that take place in the past feel the need to create a straw-man villain but the only adversary is the gorilla. It's an interesting look at how close some animals are to humans, how they feel the same emotions we do, and yet how we really can't treat them just like people because they aren't. Not many films venture into this territory and it's worth seeing if you want to contemplate the human-animal similarity.

If you like animal antics, you'll like the chimps. A simple, charming coming-of-age plot. Some may feel the animals are exploited -- dressing and treating them as humans.