With Rise of the Planet of the Apes (looking like a sweet flick and) hitting theaters this week, I thought it might be fun to look at my favorite movies that feature a member of the primate family. Now there are a ton of these, and I’m sure I forgot some, so make sure and leave some of your favorites in the comments section below. That being said, this one is pretty straightforward so let’s jump right in…
EXCLUSIONS: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK & …OF THE APES.
The Apes films are the inspiration for this list so they get an automatic exclusion as the goal is to look at other films that have used primates well. I’d love to throw Raiders on here as well but if I keep putting my favorite movie on every list I do, it’s going to get a little old… so, I’m excluding it.
HONORABLE MENTION: KING KONG.
You can’t make a list like this without giving the big man credit but, I have to be honest, I’m not a big fan of any of the King Kong films. So, let’s just show him some respect and call him a movie monster so I don’t have to argue why it’s not on the list… snootches!
5. CONGO.
After Planet of the Apes and King Kong, Congo should be the first film you think of when it comes to primates. I like this movie because it’s actually a freaky film. It’s from the same author that wrote Jurassic Park and is to evil monkeys what that was to dinosaurs. If you haven’t seen it, go do that now and then come back!
4. GRANDMA’S BOY.
A while back, when doing MILFcast‘s tournament of champions, I tried to give this film away as a prize and no one would take it. I was stunned! This is one of the best comedies I’ve seen in the last 10 years. It’s actually one of the few comedies that makes me laugh… out loud… lol style! It features all of Adam Sandler’s real life buddies that have bit parts in all his films and one stoner chimp named, well, “Monkey”.
3. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL.
I’m actually bummed I remembered this film because it kicked Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back off the list but I can’t omit it. Fact is, you can say whatever you want about this franchise but the first film was great. And I love “Jack” the monkey (who was named after Sparrow) and how he’s part of the curse. SPOILER ALERT: He’s a ghost monkey!
2. ALADDIN.
Aladdin is arguably the greatest film in the renaissance Disney had in the 90′s. A classic on par with Disney’s earlier films. It has a lot of great characters in it but I love Abu. If you think about it, he’s kind of an unnecessary character since Genie is pretty much Aladdin’s sidekick. But the great minds over there at Disney did a great job of playing Abu off of Genie and finding humor in his jealousy.
1. 28 DAYS LATER.
Myself and Man, I Love Films’ contributor, Nick Jobe, consider this one of the greatest Zombie movies ever made. I’d say, next to Romero’s films, it’s probably the best. I love the reinterpretation of the genre and the way they made angry monkeys the source of the disease. It’s one of my favorite opening scenes of a movie!
So, let me have it… what are some of your favorites?












I couldn’t even imagine how bad Congo would have been if Laura Linney hadn’t signed on for it. She alone turns that film from something Uwe Boll would even laugh at, to a film that you don’t mind watching a boring weeknight.
The Lion King would be in mine. Rafiki is the man. Aaaaaaaaaaasante sana, squash banana!!
Twitter: kaiderman
August 5, 2011 4:21 pm
Rafiki is the man! Check out the LAMBpardy episode of LAMBcast tgo see how much I love that guy!!!
Already heard it, you crazy, crazy man. Hopefully the LAMBpardy becomes a staple of the LAMBcast!
Twitter: manilovefilms
August 7, 2011 11:05 pm
It will! You’ll have to play some time!
I do NOT consider 28 Days Later one of the greatest “zombie” films ever made, thank you very much!
That’s because you’re wrong.
I am not wrong! 28DL is a brilliant film. It’s just not a zombie movie.
Twitter: kaiderman
August 5, 2011 4:20 pm
That’s not what you told me in confidence… oops!
haha…
Twitter: kaiderman
August 5, 2011 4:24 pm
Honeywell rules! haha
Grandma’s Boy is hilarious! Thanks for throwing Aladdin in there dad lol.
Twitter: kaiderman
August 5, 2011 4:21 pm
Abso-friggin-lutely!
Bedtime for Bonzo! MXP: Most Xtreme Primate!
Dunston Checks In!! Where’s that? God Congo was so scary…I saw it when I was really small; never can return to it.
So when do we get a Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp movie?
Pah. So like two minutes of monkey gets the #1 spot? It’s a good movie, but the original King Kong is better. And it’s about the king of all primates.
Twitter: manilovefilms
August 7, 2011 11:06 pm
Yeah, but it seems like a cheat to use King Kong. I don’t have an issue with the placement here at all.
It’s not a cheat if it’s the best primate movie ever made.
Twitter: kaiderman
August 8, 2011 12:59 pm
Dylan vetoed it (to help me) as being a movie monster. Thaanks, D!
This list is incomplete without Clint Eastwood’s monkey movies: ‘Any Which Way You Can’ and ‘Every Which Way But Loose.’
Outbreak!
Twitter: manilovefilms
August 7, 2011 11:06 pm
Love this list – but I should since I gave you the idea!
Damn you for excluding the Raiders monkey, even if your reasoning was sound.
You know Kai, this is very strange.
I too posted a Primate List (all be it inferior) to this one on Thursday!!
It happened before with the Bad Haircuts list!!
LOL People are gonna start to talk!
Twitter: kaiderman
August 8, 2011 1:03 pm
See the comment above yours.
You should probably talk to Dylan because the two lists you mentioned are the only two that were actually Dylan’s idea.
Also, and anyone at MILF can back me up on this, I am the only writer on the site who writes and schedules his posts weeks in advance.
Sorry for the crossover… though I do doubt we’re the only two guys who covered these topics. haha
HAHA Kai, I think it is pretty cool (great minds and all that) because I am pretty guilty of not coming over here very often (something I really should rectify!!) and two of the times I have we have had the same or similar ideas for lists!!
AGAIN I say though my list is completely inferior to yours!!
Twitter: kaiderman
August 8, 2011 1:55 pm
You’re too kind, sir!
Am I the only sap that cried at the end of Instinct?
I agree with Rich, my first thought before seeing the list of movies was that “Every Which Way But Loose” had to be on here. Is there anything better than “Right turn Clyde”??? Come on!