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6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Chimp remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Look, if you need a tight, coherent plot to stay awake, skip this one. But if you just want to see Stan and Ollie get absolutely humiliated by a primate, you’re going to have a great afternoon. It’s basically just 20 minutes of people falling over and a chimp looking like he’s bored out of his mind. 🐒
I’ve always felt like Laurel and Hardy operate on this weird, dream-like frequency. They don't just do physical comedy; they inhabit a world where gravity is optional and social norms are just suggestions. In The Chimp, the transition from circus performers to circus owners is so abrupt it’s almost offensive, but who cares?
That ape, Ethel, is honestly the best actor in the room. There’s a moment where the chimp is just sitting there while Stan is doing his usual crying-whimper thing, and you can see the chimp look at the camera like, “Is this guy for real?” It’s hilarious.
The whole bit with the flea circus is absurd. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite as desperate as two grown men pretending to perform with imaginary insects. It’s the kind of low-budget, high-concept nonsense that makes old comedies feel so charming. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Pollyanna, but way more unhinged.
Everything falls apart at the end, obviously. The circus isn't exactly a well-oiled machine. It’s more of a disaster waiting to happen, and watching it implode is the whole point. The pacing is a bit all over the place—some scenes feel like they were cut with garden shears—but that just adds to the charm.
Don't expect a deep dive into the human condition. It’s a movie about a chimp and a flea circus. It’s silly. It’s loud. It’s exactly what you need on a Tuesday when your brain is fried. Sometimes you don't need a meditation on life, you just need a giant ape causing property damage. 🍌