>FOR THE CHINESE, FEB. 19 MARKS THE transition from the Year of the Pig to the Year of the Rat. But in Hollywood—the town that has given us Cheetah, King Kong and Bonzo—the last 12 months have been monkey time, Sim City, a primate's paradise. Check out the movies and TV shows that have gone ape to get laughs or heighten the drama.
Friends.
David Schwimmer's pet monkey Marcel retired from the show last April—but not from show business. (Guess who that was opposite Jerry Seinfeld in a recent American Express commercial.)
Outbreak. The outbreak of an Ebola-type virus is traced to an African monkey.
Congo. An expedition team runs into a band of killer gorillas in Africa.
Chicago Hope. In an ongoing story, a lab monkey, after being infected with AIDS, bites nurse Diane Grad (Jayne Brook). Stay tuned.
Cutthroat Island. Hey, are you a pirate who hates to deal with a squawking parrot on your shoulder all day? Do what Geena Davis does and get a shoulder-perching monkey.
Toy Story. Woody and Buzz get all the ink, but it's the Barrel of Monkeys who form a rope in a rescue scene. Best supporting actors? If only they hadn't fallen.
Jumanji. Our fine, hairy friends show their range in this board game gone amok. They rob, they loot, they create a force nastier than the LAPD.
12 Monkeys. The old bait and switch. The title promises actual monkeys, but what does the movie give you? Brad Pitt. Grrrr.
Dunston Checks In.
A boy and an orangutan (Dunston) foil a burglary in a hotel owned by Faye Dunaway. She last worked with Brando—what draws Dunaway to costars with strangely reddish hair?
Ed. Ed is a chimp on a minor league baseball team in this March comedy. Friends' Matt LeBlanc is a pitcher. They bond.
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