Ted: Okay, look like you know what you're doing... now, where's the door?

The man in the yellow hat is now named Ted. And his yellow suit is one he was tricked into wearing. And I like it. “Curious George” takes the adaptation in the right direction, with new character changes that work well. As a fan of the book series, and as someone who grew up reading this wonderful series, I was anxious to see “Curious George.” And the child in me wasn’t let down. Many other questions are answered in this big screen animated adaptation (How did George get his name?) that I can describe as one of the most adorable animated films I’ve seen in years.

Thankfully, the people at Universal animate the film in good old-fashioned hand drawn style, and it benefits the end product. George’s world is large, colorful and utterly worthy of endless exploration and the child-like symbolism behind this bright eyed monkey isn’t lost. Like a primate Dennis the Menace, George views everything with a smile, even when confronted with dangerous animals in his own land. Ted didn’t take George, George followed him home, and that’s a great change to people who suggested and sometimes griped about The man in the yellow hat being a poacher who stole George from his own world. Writer Kaufman does everything right here, and keeps this from being a complete cash-in. As with all the books, this sets down on Ted, but really this is about our resident monkey exploring the city of Boston. Jack Johnson’s wonderful score is an excellent compliment to the emotion behind the story of Ted and this rambunctious monkey.

Sadly, the supporting performance by Drew Barrymore is not only utterly pointless, adding nothing to the story and the plot progression, but her character Maggie who has a strong interest in Ted, is boring and a blatant romance for the sake of romance and padding on an otherwise strong story. She pops up every so often just to engage in typical romance exchanges, plays no real role in the climax, and really accomplishes nothing in a film that should have been a buddy comedy first and foremost.

Sure, it’s a film for the toddlers, but that doesn’t mean the adults can’t find something good from it. I’m an animation buff, and I love the books, and I love the cast, but I also took entertainment from it, and simply loved the adventures of George, the child in all of us.

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