Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

George of the Jungle Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 16, 2020

George of the Jungle swings along that fine line between nonsensical buffoonery and affable time killing movie fun. Based on the cartoon series of the same name, created by the legendary Jay Ward, George of the Jungle delivers scattered laughs, light action, and offbeat romance across a breezy 90-minute runtime that sees the picture teeter on growing stale on countless occasions, saved by just enough charm and humor to keep it chugging along. It accomplishes its assigned duties well enough, even if those duties are entirely vapid and vacuous, yielding a steady, mostly agreeable film that works best with expectations for mindless fun, not life-changing content. As if Brendan Fraser in the lead role would suggest anything else.

When a plane crashes in the heart of Africa, many people survive and many things are saved, but the most precious of the few losses is a baby named George. Years later, adventurers trekking through the area learn of the mythological “White Ape” that lives in the area. The expedition has been financed by the wealthy Ursula Stanhope (Leslie Mann) and her fiancé Lyle (Thomas Haden Church). When the couple is attacked by a vicious lion, the White Ape -- George (Brendan Fraser) -- swings in to rescue them. Lyle falls unconscious but Ursula is taken back to George’s treehouse where she learns that the legend is true, that her savior is none other than a jungle man who can miraculously speak English and who sports a chiseled physique. For a quarter-century now he’s been raised in the ways of the jungle by the talking gorilla known as “Ape.” As George and Ursula explore their feelings for one another, she brings him out of his jungle domain and into her home in San Francisco with plans to dump Lyle and be with George. Meanwhile, back in Africa, a nefarious plot is underway to make Ape a centerpiece attraction at a Las Vegas show.

Fraser, in all seriousness, is quite good in the lead role, a natural fit for this, or any, movie that charges its lead with downshifting into absurdity. His is not a performance of note for depth or breadth, and rightly so; the actor knows his way around film foolishness and slapstick humor and fits right into the part. He's got the proper physique, too, but it's the comedic timing, the facial expressions, the way he carries himself and stumbles through newfound emotions and life realities that make the performance, and the movie, tick. Production details are fine, and Director Sam Weisman, whose career highlight include both this film and D2: The Mighty Ducks, wisely stays out of the way, letting his star, the scenery, and the silliness carry the movie.

George of the Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

George of the Jungle's Blu-ray transfer is perfectly satisfying, delivering a good, film-like experience that holds up to the 1080p resolution's standards. Grain is maintained for the duration with little variance in density. There are extremely minor compression issues in accompaniment but such are not at all problematic for casual viewing. Details are pleasing with good, dependable clarity the norm, revealing intimate facial textures and environmental details -- from dense jungle greenery to urban sprawl -- with impressive clarity. Colors are satisfying, pushing perhaps a hair warm but offering lush natural greens and a spread of more lively and diverse city tones with fine tonal intensity and flavor. Black levels are fine and skin tones appear naturally oriented. This is a nice overall presentation from Disney.

George of the Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

George of the Jungle swings onto Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation demands a minor upward volume adjustment from calibrated reference norms, but once there the track holds steady and satisfying. The track offers distribution of various audio components to fine effect, including light score and much more intensive and engaging music with recognizable jungle percussion beats in some instances as the track's underlying heartbeat. George's animal calls in San Francisco in chapter 10 offer fine spread and surround implementation, while other high yield effects both in the jungle and within city limits enjoy spacious engagement and fine elemental clarity. Core atmospherics around both locations present with appreciable definition and seemingly perfect spacing and placement. Dialogue is clear, well prioritized, and settles into a natural front-center position, unless called upon to naturally expand per environmental parameters.

Note that the included English SDH subtitles can only be toggled on and off in-film via the remote's subtitle button.

George of the Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

George of the Jungle's Disney Movie Club exclusive release contains no supplemental content. The main menu screen offers only options to play the film and select scenes. No DVD or digital copies have been bundled in but it does include a Disney Movie Rewards code. No slipcover is included, either.

George of the Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

High art George of the Jungle is not but high-flying fun it is. The film does not lack spirit amidst scattered humor. Fraser is perfectly cast and the movie plays well enough as the dictionary definition of "mindless entertainment." It's hardly noteworthy but it's hard to say "no" to its charms, either. Disney's online movie club exclusive release is disappointingly devoid of extra content, but the video and audio presentations are just fine. Recommended.