Back in April, I was invited to an advance movie screening of Disneynature’s Monkey Kingdom, but I regretfully declined as I wasn’t sure if it would hold my kids’ interest. I thought they might get bored a few minutes in, and I didn’t want to disrupt other movie goers.
Boy, was I wrong. We just received an advance Blu-ray copy of Monkey Kingdom for review and my kids loved it!
From Disneynature, the studio that brought you Chimpanzee and Bears, comes Monkey Kingdom, a spectacular tale set among ancient ruins in the storied jungles of South Asia. Maya, a clever and resourceful monkey, finds her world forever changed when she welcomes her son Kip into her colorful extended family. As Maya strives to keep Kip safe through unexpected and sometimes perilous adventures, amazing footage captures all the magic and surprises of their magnificent world. Maya and her family will make you laugh and warm your heart as she realizes her dreams for her sonβs future.
Come on, who doesn’t love monkeys? This spectacular footage was filmed over the course of three years in Sri Lanka and follows a troop of clever toque macaque monkeys. The images are absolutely stunning, and the use of pop music (“Hey, Hey, We’re the Monkees” and “Whatta Man”) keeps it light and entertaining though most of the film. My favourite part is where the monkeys sneak into the village and hang upside down from the roofs snatching food, all to a spy music soundtrack (think Mission: Impossible).
Monkey Kingdom is rated G, but there are a few scenes to be aware of if watching with very young ones. At one point, the monkeys are stalked by a Komodo lizard and one monkey gets pulled under the water. Later on, another group of monkeys attacks our monkeys. There is some teeth baring, and Maya and her troop are driven from their home base at Castle Rock. My three-year-old ran to snuggle up next to me but my five-year-old was unfazed. After the battle, one member of the monkey troop is dead and the other monkeys approach the body, seemingly to say goodbye. We see the obscured shape from farther away and his arm closer up with no other details, but sensitive children may be upset by this.
We all really enjoyed Monkey Kingdom, and I love that it helped start a conversation with my girls about endangered animals, humans’ impact on habitats, and conservation efforts. The toque macaque is on the endangered list, and this movie helps raise awareness. In addition, Disneynature has committed to donating a portion of first-week sales to Conservation International to help protect endangered species in their natural habitats.
Bonus Features:
- Tales From The Kingdom
- On The Set of Monkey Kingdom with Jane Goodall and Wolfgang Dittus
- Disneynature Monkey Kingdom: The Conservation Story
- “Itβs Our World” Music Video Performed by Jacquie Lee
- A Special Thank You from Disneynature
More Monkey Kingdom games and quizzes available on the Disneynature website. Connect on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Monkey Kingdom will be available on Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) & Blu-ray Combo Pack starting September 15.
Win Your Own Copy of Monkey Kingdom!
One reader will win their own copy of Disneynature’s Monkey Kingdom on Blu-ray. Enter for your chance to win in the giveaway widget below. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the US, 18+. All entries will be verified.
While youβre here, check out my other open giveaways on my Giveaway Page!
Disclosure: I received a sample item for review. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ. This post contains affiliate links. This West Coast Mommy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
My favourite wild animal is the black jaguar. My son’s favourite is the spider monkey.
I just love zebras!! They are beautiful π
My toddler and husband both love tigers!
My daughter loves all animals … but her favorite is probably the Orca Whale !
Our middle child (the one that would enjoy this the most) loves dogs, any kind of dog.
We live in the mountains of Arkansas so we encounter a lot of wildlife. One evening around sunset, three years ago, we had a mama wolf walk up to us and watch us play room about 20 feet away. By the time I noticed her, she had already made herself comfortable and was just watching us play in the yard. No signs of aggression or fear, she was just enjoying us. When I did notice her, it of course, scared the hell out of me, but only expanded my daughter’s love for canines. After I grabbed the middle by the pants and threw her on the porch, shoved the oldest in the car, I grabbed my pistol (just in case, I didn’t know if she would be aggressive or not), and by the time I got back outside, she was gone. We haven’t seen her since.
Scariest and coolest thing I have ever witnessed, but definitely didn’t help with my phobia of wolves. Lol
As a child, I remember black bears playing tag in our front yard. They loved to tackle the baby pine saplings we had. They were amazing, and it was an awesome experience.
My child’s favourite wild animal is an elephant.
My son loves Tigers!! We go to the zoo all the time tho and every time his favorite changes π
my nieces favorite wild animals would be wolves, she said they sing so nice
My favourites are dolphins, they are such graceful creatures, beautiful π
My kids love wolfs. ever since i took them to zoo they been talking about wolfs
My fav. animal is the lion, so strong and majestic looking.
My child’s favorite animals are elephants,especially baby ones,she fell in love the first time she saw one.
My sons favorite animals are sloths, anteaters and crocodiles.
Felicity loves Dolphins, dolphins and dolphins! She know all the facts about them and has swam with them twice!
They like the monkeys, we could sit for hours at the zoo’s just watching them play and jump around!!
My oldest Gal loves the Arctic White Ow (aka: Snowy Owl)..My middle daughter loves the Fairy Penguin, and my youngest Gal loves the Porcupine..Sorry I couldn’t just Share what 1 kid loves,as I have 3 Galz and I know what are their absolute Favorite animals π
My grandchildren all love monkeys and gorillas and that is the first animals they want to visit at the zoo.
My grandson is particularly interested in sea turtles. He loves to pretend he is a sea turtle when he’s taking a bath!
Alysia adores penguins, everything about them. She’s watched all of the grown-up BBC films about them as well as ‘March of the Penguins’.
My favorite wild animal is the politician. It is very cunning and wily. The politician is currently looking to court all partners with magnificent financial displays in the wilds of Canada. Some politicians are threatening my child’s favorite animal the wild bear.
My daughter’s favorite animal is probably the monkey thanks to Curious George. That is her favorite show right now.
My granddaughter’s favourite wild animal is a wild horse. She’s crazy about any kind of horse!
My kids like to see the wild deer in our pastures
My daughter is still a bit timid with animals but she really enjoys elephants – at least in theory! π
My son loves elephants and lions, mostly because he can add their sounds to the dinnertime soundtrack.
My daughter loves giraffes and koala bears
I love owls, I even have an owl lamp in my living room. I don’t have kids yet but my niece loves rabbits. My nephew is too little to have a favorite animal yet, he just turned 1.
After spending over an hour at the Calgary zoo for the Gorilla to take his head out of the door so my grandson could see him, I have to go with the Gorilla.
My grandson’s favorite wild animal is the monkey. His room is decorated with jungle animals. He would absolutely love this movie. Thank-you!!
My daughter’s favorite animal is the dolphin.
My granddaughters favourite wild animal is an otter.
Who is your child’s (or your) favourite wild animal? Leave your answer in full sentences please.
i dont have children…mine was the rhino..thank you and good night
My son LOVES penguins!!
Aw, we loved this movie! My daughter’s favourite wild animal is the tiger, she loves to crouch down and prowl around like a tiger and growl and leap. My son I just asked and he said “Nothing.” Which is great evidence of a threenager in action π
We love sea turtles and jaguars!
My favorite animal will always be Monkeys, love them!
My favorite wild animal is the Squirrel Monkey!!
Oh my gosh – my family and I have a fascination with two animals – Owls…and monkeys! Of course, I really love them all. All wild animals have a beauty about them <3
My favorite wild animal is one of the most beautiful-the cheetah!
My daughter loves whales.
I would say tigers and lions!
My favorite wild animal is a dolphin. They are so smart, graceful, and beautiful.
My favourite wild animal is the tiger! Such beauty & grace!
My Sophie’s favorite animal is snakes its crazy cause I am terrified
One of my children loves dolphins the best, one loves monkeys the best, and I love big cats the best – tigers, jaguars, lions etc.
My favorite is the wolf
we like the big cats
My daughter’s favourite wild animal is a tiger. She just loves tigers, and collect anything tiger related.
My sons favorite animal is a polar bear and we just got one at the zoo after years and I haven’t made it there with him yet.
My kids love lions. My son is dressing up as one for Halloween.