Monkeybone
Monkeybone | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Henry Selick |
Written by | Sam Hamm |
Based on | Dark Town by Kaja Blackley |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Andrew Dunn |
Edited by |
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Music by | Anne Dudley |
Production company | |
Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $75 million[2] |
Box office | $7.6 million[2] |
Monkeyboneis a 2001 Americanblack comedyfantasy filmdirected byHenry Selick,written bySam Hamm,produced byMichael Barnathanand Mark Radcliffe, and executive produced byChris Columbus,Selick, and Hamm. The film combineslive-actionwithstop-motion animation.Loosely based on Kaja Blackley'sgraphic novelDark Town,the film starsBrendan Fraser,Bridget Fonda,Chris Kattan,Giancarlo Esposito,Rose McGowan,Whoopi Goldberg,andJohn Turturroas the voice of the titular character. It tells the story of a cartoonist who ends up in a coma where he ends up in the location of Down Town where he runs into the titular character as he works to get back to the living while contending with an evil plot to supply Down Town with nightmares.
Theatrically released on February 23, 2001, by20th Century Fox,the film was abox-office bomband received generally negative critical reviews for its characters and humor, although there was some praise for the visuals.[3]Selick later admitted his unhappiness with the final product and has since vowed to never make another live-action film again.[4]
Plot
[edit]Stuart "Stu" Miley is a disillusioned cartoonist whose comic character, a rascalmonkeynamed Monkeybone, is getting ananimated seriesand merchandise, at the constant pestering of his agent and friend, Herb. He plans on proposing to his girlfriend, Julie McElroy, a sleep institute worker who helped him deal with his nightmares by changing his drawing hand.
One night, Stu falls into a coma following a car crash. His spirit is taken to Down Town, a surreal and carnival-themedlimbo-like landscape populated by mythical beings and figments of its visitors' imaginations, even Monkeybone. Stu and Monkeybone are constantly at each other's throats during his time in Down Town until discovering people can leave Down Town once they are given Exit Passes.
Stu is then invited to apajama partybeing hosted byHypnos:the God of Sleep and ruler of Down Town. According to Hypnos, Stu has to steal an Exit Pass from his sister, Death, in order to wake up from his coma in time before the plug is pulled due to Stu and his sister Kimmy making a pact as children after their father's death. Stu and Monkeybone journey to the Land of Death disguised as one of her employees and successfully manage to steal an Exit Pass, while narrowly escaping a nightmare Julie inflicts upon Stu in an attempt to wake him by using "Oneirix", a chemical solution created by Julie that causes nightmare inducement.
Back in Down Town, Monkeybone steals the Exit Pass for himself, where it is revealed that the theft was part of a plan orchestrated by Hypnos. Monkeybone enters Stu's body while Stu is imprisoned with other disillusioned or criminal figures throughout history. Hypnos reveals to Stu that he and the denizens of Down Town thrive on nightmares and made a deal with Monkeybone to spread the Oneirix amongst the living in exchange for getting Monkeybone his body all to himself, since he's fed up with being a figment.
Monkeybone is ordered by Hypnos via a nightmare to stay his course, causing Monkeybone to steal the Oneirix from the sleep institute successfully, leaving a decoy in its place. While Monkeybone puts the chemical in farting Monkeybone toys to be given out to the public at a charity banquet, Julie is growing wary due to "Stu's" new behavior. Monkeybone tests it on Stu's dog, much to Hypnos' dismay. Stu manages to escape with the help of Miss Kitty, acatgirlwaitress he befriends, and confronts Death to convince her to send him back to the living world to stop Monkeybone. Death complies, giving him an hour to do so as she puts him in the body of an organ donor with a broken neck.
Stu makes it to the banquet while Monkeybone is about to propose to Julie, while Herb is exposed to the Oneirix in the Monkeybone doll and sees his clothes coming to life in a mirror, causing him to strip naked and flee in a panic, believing his clothes are rebelling. Stu finally confesses his love and regrets to Julie for never getting a chance to propose to her. Stu manages to use Monkeybone's origin characteristics to cause him to panic which culminates in the two of them battling one another on a giant Monkeybone balloon, which is soon shot down by a police officer, causing the duo to fall to their doom and be sent back to Down Town.
There, the citizens below cheer on Stu and Monkeybone's fight as they descend from the sky before being caught by a giant robot controlled by Death. Monkeybone is then placed back in Stu's mind by Death, claiming it is where he belongs before she sends Stu back to his proper body. Once there, he and Julie reunite and share a kiss, as the still-infected Herb then emerges from a nearby fountain telling everyone to remove their clothes. The film then cuts to atraditionally animatedsequence where the banquet's attendants are revealed to be monkeys in disguise.
Cast
[edit]- Brendan Fraseras Stuart "Stu" Miley, a cartoonist and the creator of theMonkeybonefranchise. Fraser also plays Monkeybone when he is in Stu's body.
- Bridget Fondaas Dr. Julie McElroy, a sleep therapist and Stu's love interest.
- Chris Kattanas an organ donor that Stu briefly possesses.
- Giancarlo EspositoasHypnos,the malicioussatyr-like God of Sleep who runs Down Town.
- Rose McGowanas Miss Kitty, acatgirlwaitress at Down Town's local bar whom Stu befriends.
- Whoopi GoldbergasDeath,the ruler of the Land of Death and Hypnos' sister.
- Dave Foleyas Herb, Stu's agent and friend.
- Megan Mullallyas Kimmy Miley, Stu's sister.
- Lisa ZaneasMedusa,an inhabitant of Down Town who sings at Hypnos' pajama party. An extended scene shows that the snakes that make up her hair are her back-up singers.
- Sandra Thigpen as Alice, Julie's friend and co-worker.
- Lou Romanoas the police officer who shoots down the Monkeybone balloon
- Harper Roisman as Earl Biegler, an old man in Down Town who receives an exit pass from one of the Reapers.
- Scott Workman as Arnold the Super Reaper, a partially-armored Reaper who is one of Death's minions.
- Mary Stein as Lulu, a Down Town inhabitant who is claimed by the Land of Death. A deleted scene showed that she was taken from Hypnos' pajama party.
- Christopher Franciosa as a Reaper who takes Lulu
- Fred Pierce as a Reaper in Death's office
- Jon Bruno asStephen King,one of Hypnos' prisoners in Down Town who was previously tricked into infiltrating the Land of Death to steal an exit pass, which was stolen by his figment ofCujo.He is only credited as "Man in the Dungeon".
- Owen Masterson asJack the Ripper,one of Hypnos' prisoners in Down Town.
- Shawnee Free JonesasLizzie Borden,one of Hypnos' prisoners in Down Town.
- Jen Sung Outerbridge asAtilla the Hun,one of Hypnos' prisoners in Down Town.
- Ilia VolokasGrigori Rasputin,one of Hypnos' prisoners in Down Town.
- Claudette MinkasTyphoid Mary,one of Hypnos' prisoners in Down Town.
- Edgar Allan Poe IV asEdgar Allan Poe,one of Hypnos' prisoners in Down Town.
- Bob Odenkirkas a head surgeon
- Leon Laderach as a surgeon in a nightmare
- Veena Bidasha as a Statue Woman, a statue of a female on a mobile round stand who is an inhabitant of Down Town.
- Michael Anthony Jackson as Bug Man, an inhabitant of Down Town with the head of a male human and the body of aninsect.
- Doug JonesasYeti,an inhabitant of Down Town who operates its nightmare-showingmovie theater.
- Arturo Gil as therat-likeguardof Down Town's prison that works for Hypnos.
- Jody St. Michael as theCentaur,an inhabitant of Down Town that wears cowboy attire. An original scene upon Stu's arrival has him offering people "pony rides".
- Frit Fuller and Frat Fuller as the Three-HeadedDevil,an inhabitant of Down Town depicted with three heads and three legs. An original scene had him asking for Stu's autograph in blood upon his arrival in Down Town.
- Brian Steeleas Jumbo, aGanesha-like being who works as the piano player at Down Town's local bar.
- Leif Tildenas theCyclops,an inhabitant of Down Town with a large head and arms and a smaller torso and legs.
- Tom Fisher as the Community Service Cigarette Sweeper, a humanoidcamelinhabitant of Down Town.
- Joseph S. Griffo as the BBQ Pig, an anthropomorphicpigwho is a pork vendor in Down Town.
- Kim Timbers-Patteri as the Wasp Woman, aninsectoidwaspand inhabitant of Down Town that is often seen with Hypnos.
- Lisa Ebeyer as Betty the Bovine, an anthropomorphiccowwho is a prize vendor in Down Town.
- Wayne Doba as the Scorpion, a creature in Down Town withscorpionlegs and a scorpion tail surrounding his face.
- Mark Vinello as Ass Backwards
- Nathan Stein as theSea Monster,an inhabitant of Down Town that resembles apiscine humanoidemerging from the back of its giantseahorse-like mount.
- Ed Holmes as the Buffalo Kachina, abison-typeKachinathat lives in Down Town. An original scene upon Stu's arrival had him asking for a cigarette instead of the Community Service Cigarette Sweeper.
- Erica Gudis, Melinda Miamor, and Caroline A. Rice as the Party Chicks, three bird-beaked women in Down Town that are first seen at Hypnos' pajama party.
- Mike Starras Bull, aTexas Longhorn-typeMinotaurwith a Picasso art-like face who is the bartender of Down Town's local bar. (uncreditedin the closing credits[a])
- Thomas Haden Churchas Death's assistant who reads her the names of new arrivals that have passed away in Down Town (uncreditedin the closing credits[b])
Henry Selick's arm is seen during the opening sequence drawing Monkeybone.
Voices
[edit]- John Turturroas Monkeybone, a monkey who is Stu's raunchy rascal creation.
- Brendan Fraseras Stanley (uncredited), a character in theMonkeybonecartoon that recaps his creation of the titular character.
- Ted Rooney as voice of theGrim Reaper
- Roger L. Jacksonas Arnold the Super Reaper
- Joe Ranftas the Streetsquashed Rabbit, aroadkillrabbitthat lives in Down Town.
- Bruce Lanoilas the Streetsquashed Raccoon, a roadkillraccoonthat lives in Down Town.
- Debi Durst as the Streetsquashed Snake, a roadkillsnakethat lives in Down Town.
- Phil Brotherton as SuperMansa,a two-sided messenger on a wheeled goose living in Down Town who gives Stu an invitation to Hypnos' pajama party.
- Jym Dingler as the Community Service Cigarette Sweeper
- Leslie Hedger as Ass Backwards
- Toby Gleason as the Buffalo Kachina
- Allan Trautmanas the BBQ Pig
- Mike Mitchellas Miss Hudlapp, Stanley's teacher seen in theMonkeybonepilot.
- Lou Romano as a therapist that Stanley sees in theMonkeybonepilot.
Puppeteers
[edit]- Lee Armstrong
- Ernique Bilsland
- Julianne Buescher
- Robert A. Capwell
- Kevin Carlson
- Mike Elizalde
- Eric Fiedler
- Thom Floutz
- Loren Gitthens
- Michael L. Hammond as Reaper Performer
- Terri Hardin
- Hiroshi Ikeuchi
- Jim Kundig
- Leon Laderach
- Bruce Lanoilas Monkeybone (on-set puppeteer)
- Pons Maar
- Todd K. Minobe
- James Murray
- Bridget Oberlin
- Brian Roe
- Sterry Sandin
- Mike P. Scanlan
- Wendy Schmidt
- Russell Shinkle
- Brian Sipe
- Michelan Sisti
- Dave Snyder
- Allan Trautman
- Todd Tucker
- Vincent A. Verdi
- John Weldy
Production
[edit]The comic bookDark Town,on whichMonkeyboneis based, was written by Kaja Blackley, illustrated by Vanessa Chong, and published by Mad Monkey Press.[5]The journey from comic to film was initiated by a fan of the comic and member of the San Francisco animation community (Tom "Bags" Sacchi/ChasingDragons Productions NYC) who, without Blackley's knowledge, passed a copy ofDark Townon to one of Selick's producers, Denise Rotina. Selick fell in love with the book and vigorously pursued the rights. In a letter to Kaja, he wrote: "I've never felt any project was closer to my sensibilities than this one." The initial intention was to stay true to the source material, which can be seen in early designs from Selick's company, Twitching Image. However, as the project developed, it eventually evolved intoMonkeybone.[6]
Casting
[edit]Initially, the role of Monkeybone was to be played byBen Stiller.Stiller dropped out to be inMystery Menand was replaced by Turturro.[7]
Influences
[edit]Much of the film's art bears a strong resemblance to that ofMark Ryden—for example, the bust ofAbraham Lincolnas "The Great Emancipator". Stu's pre-therapy painting is very similar to Ryden'sThe Birth,and according to the credits, was painted by him for the film.[8]The animation style and the themes of the opening sequence in which Stu first encounters Monkeybone are very similar to the work of Swedish cartoonistMagnus Carlsson.The film's plot is influenced by the filmsWho Framed Roger Rabbit,Cool WorldandBeetlejuice.Many critics mark a similarity betweenDark Town'sdesign andTim Burton's style.[9][10]The film contains a large number of references to aparody religioncalledThe Church of the SubGenius.In particular, the fictional fast-food chain "Burger God" was originally a SubGenius creation. Additionally, the repeated references toYetis,and the scene in which Stu (whose body is possessed by Monkeybone) is struck in the head with a golf club by Hypnos in a dream sequence, also echo recurring themes in the Church of the SubGenius.[11]
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]Monkeybonewas a failure at the box office; based on a budget of $75 million, the film grossed $5,411,999 domestically and $2,210,366 worldwide.[2]
Critical response
[edit]OnRotten Tomatoes,the film has an approval rating of 20% based on 114 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Though original and full of bizarre visuals,Monkeyboneis too shapeless a movie, with unengaging characters and random situations that fail to build up laughs. "[12]OnMetacritic,the film has a weighted average score of 40 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[13]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale.[14]
Roger Ebertgave the film 1.5 stars out of 4, saying, "The movie labors hard, the special effects are admirable, no expense has been spared, and yet the movie never takes off; it's a bright idea the filmmakers were unable to breathe life into."[15]
In a 2022 interview, Henry Selick said of the film's critical and commercial failure:
It certainly would have done better if they advertised it a little... I would still like to do a Director's Cut because there's a lot of cool stuff that was removed... my main lesson learned is, I don't really do well in the live-action universe... I love my world of stop-motion... I went down a slippery slope to make Monkeybone, but the film that came out it's not my vision of what the film could've been, and I just don't thrive in that.[16]
Accolades
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Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
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Taurus Award | Best High Work and Best Work With a Vehicle | Joey Preston and Jay Caputo | Nominated |
Stinker Award | Worst Supporting Actress | Whoopi Goldberg (also forRat Race) | Nominated |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Monkeybone(PG) ".British Board of Film Classification.March 1, 2001.RetrievedJuly 27,2016.
- ^abcMonkeyboneatBox Office Mojo
- ^Rebecca Ascher-Walsh."Why" Monkeybone "flopped at the box office".Entertainment Weekly.
- ^"Coraline Director Reflects on Brendan Fraser's Monkeybone Bombing".Screen Rant.November 7, 2022.
- ^"TINTIN Works, But Some Graphic Novel Adaptations Go Wrong".Newsarama.RetrievedJanuary 23,2018.
- ^"June 1997 News".awn.RetrievedJanuary 23,2018.
- ^Petrikin, Chris (January 18, 1999)."Fraser up to 'Monkey' biz".Variety.RetrievedJune 30,2021.
- ^"Mark Ryden".BFI.Archived fromthe originalon January 24, 2018.RetrievedJanuary 23,2018.
- ^"Metroactive Movies 'Monkeybone'".metroactive.RetrievedJanuary 23,2018.
- ^Vice, Jeff (February 23, 2001)."Film review: Monkeybone".DeseretNews.RetrievedJanuary 23,2018.
- ^"The Gospel According to Philo".quiveringbrain.RetrievedJanuary 23,2018.
- ^MonkeyboneatRotten Tomatoes
- ^MonkeyboneatMetacritic
- ^"CinemaScore".cinemascore.
- ^"Monkeybone movie review and film summary".RogerEbert.
- ^"Coraline Director Reflects on Brendan Fraser's Monkeybone Bombing".Screen Rant.November 7, 2022.
External links
[edit]- 2001 films
- 1492 Pictures films
- 2000s American animated films
- 2001 black comedy films
- 2000s English-language films
- 2000s fantasy comedy films
- 20th Century Fox films
- 20th Century Fox animated films
- American black comedy films
- American fantasy comedy films
- American films with live action and animation
- American dark fantasy films
- American adult animated films
- Cultural depictions of Attila the Hun
- Films about animation
- Films about body swapping
- Films about comics
- Films about fictional painters
- Films about personifications of death
- Films about Yeti
- Films based on Canadian comics
- Films directed by Henry Selick
- Films produced by Michael Barnathan
- Films with screenplays by Sam Hamm
- Films scored by Anne Dudley
- Films shot in Los Angeles
- Films using stop-motion animation
- Limbo