Last week, I was in Los Angeles for the Avengers Event. As an added bonus, we were able to see Disneynature’s Monkey Kingdom, which is in theaters today. Monkey Kingdom is set in the storied jungles of South Asia, “Monkey Kingdom” showcases the adventures of new mom Maya, a clever and resourceful blonde-bobbed monkey who’s determined to give her son a leg up in the world.

Monkeys have always fascinated me so I was looking forward to seeing Monkey Kingdom. Going in, I was sure that it was going to be an emotional and heartwarming story as every Disneynature movie is and I wasn’t wrong. As a Mom especially, Monkey Kingdom pulled at my heartstrings. I loved watching Maya become a new mom and cradle her son Kip. She would gaze into his eyes as all of us new moms have gazed into our child’s eyes. And like most human moms, she would do anything to protect her child.

It’s fascinating to watch the monkeys live among the ruins of a grand city that ruled Sri Lanka a thousand years ago. We follow a whole cast of characters in addition to Maya as they try to survive in a very interesting social hierarchy, much like humans. For 82 minutes, you’re emotionally vested with Maya and her family. You want to see her survive and thrive with her son.

A great thing about Monkey Kingdom is how FUNNY it is. How can it not be when it stars a bunch of monkeys? They are such intelligent but fun and playful creatures. Narrating Monkey Kingdom is Tina Fey, who brings the perfect tone to the movie and the story.

I don’t want to spoil any part of the movie but I wanted to mention two of my favorite scenes – the termite scene and the village scene. Both were fun fascinating to watch and I can’t wait to see what you think of them.

Monkey Kingdom is also a visually stunning movie. As I mentioned, it’s set in the jungles of South Asia among ancient ruins. The perfect place to see Monkey Kingdom is in the theater as director Mark Linfield explains.

“We were always very aware that we were going to be showing this on a big screen,” says director Mark Linfield. “You film things differently when you know that the monkey is going to be three stories high. You compose the shot differently. You use light differently. I really hope people come to see this on the big screen, because that is absolutely how it was designed to be seen.”

I can’t wait to see Monkey Kingdom in the theater with my family, as I really believe it’s a good family movie. My son is 7 and I know he will be just as fascinated as I am when it comes to Monkey Kingdom. Lots of questions will be asked and it will be a great learning experience!

Monkey Kingdom was filmed over three years and is directed by Mark Linfield (“Chimpanzee,” “Earth”) and co-directed by Alastair Fothergill (“Chimpanzee,” “Bears”).  It’s in theaters on April 17th.

Make sure to check out my post on my experience at the Los Angeles Zoo exploring THEIR Monkey Kingdom!

Why See Monkey Kingdom in Theaters

When you see MONKEY KINGDOM opening week (April 17-23), Disneynature will make a donation in your honor to Conservation International to help protect monkeys and other endangered species in their natural habitats. Learn more at https://nature.disney.com/monkey-kingdom.

You can also buy Maya or Kip from the Disney Store and they will donate $1 to Conservation International for every Disneynature plush purchased between 3/13/2015 and 5/14/2015, with a minimum donation of $2000.

If you shop at the Disney Store on earth Day {April 22nd}, you can also get a free reusable Monkey Kingdom shopping bag.

Watch the Monkey Kingdom Trailer

Connect with Monkey Kingdom and Disneynature

– Like Disneynature on Facebook

– Follow Disneynature on Twitter

– Follow Disneynature on Tumbler

– Follow Disneynature on Instagram

– Visit the official MONKEY KINGDOM website

Monkey Kingdom is in theaters April 17th!

Disclosure: Disney provided an all expenses paid trip to Los Angeles including travel, accommodations and activities. All thoughts and opinions are my own.