Monkeybone (2001)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:111
Fresh:21
Rotten:90
Average Rating:3.8/10
Consensus: Though original and full of bizarre visuals, Monkeybone is too shapeless a movie, with unengaging characters and random situations that fail to build up laughs.
Theatrical Release:Feb 23, 2001 Wide
Box Office: $4,942,155
Synopsis: MONKEYBONE, directed by Henry Selick (JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS), is a fantasy adventure that combines live action, stop motion, claymation miniatures, puppets, and... MONKEYBONE, directed by Henry Selick (JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS), is a fantasy adventure that combines live action, stop motion, claymation miniatures, puppets, and computer imaging. Monkeybone is a cartoon character created by a successful comic book illustrator named Stu Miley (Brendan Fraser). (He wears a coat with the tag S. Miley, which is a good hint at the film's brand of pun-filled humor.) On the night that Stu is going to propose marriage to his girlfriend, Julie (Bridget Fonda), a freak accident throws him into a coma. Though he appears unconscious, lying in a hospital bed, he is actually having the strangest experience of his lifetime inside his own head. Trapped in a bizarre amusement park called Downtown, the land where nightmares are stored, Stu comes face to face with a living version of the small, mischievous Monkeybone (a stop-action paraffin sculpture voiced by John Turturro). The other inhabitants of Downtown are either part-humans like the seductive cat woman, Kitty (Rose McGowan) and the mysterious face of Death (Whoopi Goldberg), or beasts--Cyclops, Minotaurs, and Centaurs. While dodging obstacles from his own nightmares, Stu strives to break out of his coma and return to his true love. Little does he know, Monkeybone has plans of his own. [More]
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Bridget Fonda, Chris Kattan, Dave Foley
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Bridget Fonda, Chris Kattan, Dave Foley, Whoopi Goldberg, Rose McGowan, Christopher Franciosa, Giancarlo Esposito, Megan Mullally, Mary Pierce, Bob Odenkirk, John Turturro
Director: Henry Selick
Director: Henry Selick
Screenwriter: Sam Hamm
Producer: Mark Radce, Michael Barnathan
Composer: Anne Dudley
Studio: 20th Century Fox
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Reviews for Monkeybone
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Primed to be dark, twisted, and playful -- all exhibited traits of the works of the director, animator Henry Selick -- it is instead juvenile, amateurish, and sloppy. Full Review |
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A bundle of chaotic energy signifying nothing. Full Review |
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The film Monkeybone is a raucous mess. Director Henry Selick mixes animation and live action to the noisy, clumsy detriment of both. Full Review |
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...an outrageously funny demonstration of how our interior angst can be put into the service of art. Full Review |
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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A crass and frantic comedy-fantasy pitched alternately, I think, at ten-year-olds or stoned college students. Full Review |
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You can almost see money dripping off the walls of the sets and cybersets in this special-effects extravaganza. Full Review |
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The design is often brilliant, although the film is nowhere near as tasteless or funny as it ought to be. Full Review |
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The movie doesn't seem to have a purpose other than to fill space. Full Review |
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Click to read the article. Full Review |
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An embarrassment for Brendan Fraser. Consider this surreal comedy attempt a career hurdle that Fraser has since cleared.
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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Monkeybone is kind of like a Tim Burton movie - except it wasn't directed by Tim Burton. Full Review |
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There's a special place in my heart for movies that create new worlds for us to inhabit. Full Review |
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A largely frustrating 90-minute experience. Full Review |
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Selick does his cast a major disservice. Full Review |
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If you're interested in craziness, loony looking critters and other people's nightmares, there are worse ways to spend 90 minutes. Full Review |
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Nice bid all around, kids. Too bad it doesn't quite work. Full Review |
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Nice pictures, shame about the story. Full Review |
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Monkeybone's brief running time suggests the studio attempted to resuscitate its humor in the editing room. The operation was not a success. Full Review |
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