The direct-to-video reality check
If you’re coming to this straight from the 2006 theatrical Curious George movie, lower your expectations. That first film had a big-budget glow and a soundtrack that lived in everyone’s head for years. This 2009 sequel is a different beast. It was built for the DVD era, meant to be grabbed off a shelf to survive a rainy Saturday or a long car ride. The animation is flatter, the pacing is a bit more frantic, and the overall vibe is closer to the Saturday morning cartoon than a cinematic event.
That doesn't make it bad, but it does make it disposable. It’s the kind of movie that functions as high-quality wallpaper. It keeps the room quiet without demanding you actually sit down and pay attention to the plot. If your kid is currently obsessed with the Curious George movies, they won't care about the budget dip, but you might find yourself checking your watch by the twenty-minute mark.
The "peril" and the elephant in the room
The plot centers on George trying to reunite a baby elephant named Kayla with her family. Because it’s a cross-country adventure, the stakes are slightly higher than "George accidentally paints the hallway." You’ve got a "kidnapped" animal (though it's handled gently), security guards in pursuit, and some moments where characters are in genuine distress.
This is where the user reviews get split. Some parents find the "peril" a bit much for a G-rated movie aimed at the preschool set. We aren't talking about anything traumatic, but for a three-year-old who is used to the very low-stakes world of the PBS show, the tension of George being "on the run" can feel heavy. If your kid is sensitive to "bad guys" or characters being separated from their parents, you might want to stay close for the first viewing.
Mapping the George-verse
If you’re trying to decide where this fits in the hierarchy of monkey-related media, think of it as the middle child. It lacks the polish of the first film, but it’s arguably more adventurous than the third. If your kid finds the elephant-rescue plot a little too tense, you might actually have better luck skipping ahead to the Curious George 3: A Crash Course for Parents guide, as that one leans more into "space exploration" wonder than "on the run" tension.
Ultimately, Follow That Monkey! is a bridge. It’s a way to move a preschooler from five-minute shorts to a full-length narrative. Use it as a tool for teaching your preschooler about empathy—specifically how George reacts to Kayla’s sadness—and don't worry if they don't remember a single plot point by dinner time. It’s a functional movie, not a masterpiece.
