Thankfully, George of the Jungle avoids this for the most part — this is a movie that is not afraid to embrace the irreverent No Fourth WallPostmodernism humor of the original. The movie doesn't waste time diving into George's roots, explaining how Ape can talk, or anything like that; viewers are expected to accept the absurdist humor, Lampshade Hanging, Genre Savvy characters, subverted writing, and Interactive Narrator from the first frame and just swing with it. It's not a coincidence that the movie is the weakest in the second act, where George's Fish out of Water antics in San Francisco are more grounded in reality, leaving less room for humor and slowing down the film as a result. Similarly, the best action sequences are the ones that embrace the cartoon's Amusing Injuries and clever wit (such as George vs. the poachers), while the elaborate stunt scenes feel more like tedious padding than anything else.
George of the Jungle is not the best film adaptation of a cartoon comedy, but it's easily above most other efforts in this vein. George just lucky, I guess.
George avoided the tree! (mostly)
One of the biggest problems when doing a Live-Action Adaptation of a Zany Cartoon is the creeping introduction of Cerebus Syndrome. Perhaps it's the moviemakers' embarrassment at having to work with an animated source, or the scriptwriters feel the need to throw in Alternative Character Interpretations and Darker and Edgier elements to stretch out the story. In any case, the result often ends up alienating fans of the original because of the feeling that They Changed It, Now It Sucks!.
Thankfully, George of the Jungle avoids this for the most part — this is a movie that is not afraid to embrace the irreverent No Fourth Wall Postmodernism humor of the original. The movie doesn't waste time diving into George's roots, explaining how Ape can talk, or anything like that; viewers are expected to accept the absurdist humor, Lampshade Hanging, Genre Savvy characters, subverted writing, and Interactive Narrator from the first frame and just swing with it. It's not a coincidence that the movie is the weakest in the second act, where George's Fish out of Water antics in San Francisco are more grounded in reality, leaving less room for humor and slowing down the film as a result. Similarly, the best action sequences are the ones that embrace the cartoon's Amusing Injuries and clever wit (such as George vs. the poachers), while the elaborate stunt scenes feel more like tedious padding than anything else.
George of the Jungle is not the best film adaptation of a cartoon comedy, but it's easily above most other efforts in this vein. George just lucky, I guess.