Monkeybone(2001)

PG-13
1h 33m
- Comedy
- Fantasy

Release Date: Feb 23, 2001 | Wide

In a coma, a cartoonist finds himself trapped within his own underground creation and must find a way to get back, while racing against his popular but treacherous character, Monkeybone.

Releases

Original Release | Feb 23, 2001

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Box Office Results

Results

Opening Weekend US & Canada:
$2,685,078
Total US & Canada:
$5,411,999
Total International
$2,210,366
Total Worldwide:
$7,622,365

Current Showtimes

Your Location or

(U.S. Only)

Director & Top Cast

Henry Selick
Director

Brendan Fraser
Stu Miley

Bridget Fonda
Julie McElroy

John Turturro
Monkeybone

Chris Kattan
Organ Donor Stu

Giancarlo Esposito
Hypnos

Rose McGowan

Miss Kitty

Dave Foley

Herb

Megan Mullally

Kimmy

Bob Odenkirk

Head Surgeon

Pat Kilbane

Burger God Rep

Lisa Zane

Medusa

Whoopi Goldberg

Death

Sandra Thigpen

Alice

Wayne Wilderson

Hutch

Amy Higgins

Clarissa

Alan Gelfant

Dr. Edelstein

Kristin Norton

Nurse

Technical Specifications

Sound Mix: DTS,Dolby Digital

Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1

Other Details

Country of Origin: United States

Language: English

Summaries

Plot Summary

Stuart "Stu" Miley is a disillusioned cartoonist whose comic character, a rascal monkey named Monkeybone, is getting an animated series and 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-themed limbo-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 a pajama party being hosted by Hypnos: 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, a catgirl waitress 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 a traditionally animated sequence where the banquet's attendants are revealed to be monkeys in disguise.Alternate ending- In the alternate ending, Stu and Julie still reunite and kiss. Back in Down Town, Death in her giant robot is looking for Hypnos as Kitty directs her to Hypnos' lair. As Hypnos is seen with some suitcases, he tries to explain his actions as Death's giant robot pulls Hypnos out of his lair. Hypnos begs for another chance as Death drags him to the Land of Death to deal with him as Down Town closes for the night.

Storyline

In a coma, Stu Miley a cartoonist who created a comic strip called Monkeybone which features a rascal monkey. He finds himself trapped within his own underground creation and must find a way to get back, while racing against his popular but treacherous character, Monkeybone. Naturally, Monkeybone himself is there, and he and Stu quickly start fighting like cats and dogs. When Stu realizes that his sister, due to a pact they once made, is preparing to pull the plug on him, Stu makes a deal with Hypnos, the god of sleep, to help him steal a golden ticket from Death himself. But when Monkeybone takes over Stu's body and escapes to wreak havoc on the real world, Stu has to find a way to stop him before his sister pulls the plug on reality forever! — Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com} Life couldn't be better for cartoonist Stu Miley. He has created a hit comic strip featuring Monkeybone, a petulant rascal with a penchant for wise cracks and racy antics. Stu, happy and in love with his beautiful girlfriend Julie is on the verge of big success, as his comic strip is about to become a national television show. But on the night Stu is to propose to Julie, he is struck down in a freak accident. While Stu's body lies comatose - and Julie maintains a constant bedside vigil - his conscious spirit is transported to Downtown, a purgatory-like limbo existing between life and death. Downtown has a carnival landscape populated by mythical gods and creatures who revel in the nightmares of the living. Upon his arrival, Stu learns his ominous fate: There's no turning back. And just as things seem like they couldn't get any worse, Stu's alter ego, Monkeybone, springs to life to stir up some trouble. Now, Stu must outwit Death in order to return to the world of the living before the doctors pull the plug on Stu's body. But Monkeybone has hatched his own plot that could thwart Stu's plans... — Devin Stu Miley is a cartoonist who created a comic strip called Monkeybone which features the rascal monkey of the same name. Stu is in love with a sleep institute worker named Dr. Julie McElroy. When it came to the night where he was going to propose to her, a freak accident happens and Stu falls into a coma. His spirit ends up in Downtown: a purgatory limbo-like existence between life and death. Downtown is a carnival landscape populated by other people, mythical creatures, and other figments and this is where nightmares are entertainment. This is where Monkeybone comes to life and stirs up trouble for Stu. Also, Stu befriends a cat-girl named Kitty. When Stu learns that his sister Kimmy is about to pull the plug on him, he asks Hypnos: The God of Sleep what to do. Hypnos tells Stu that to get back to the living, he has to steal an Exit Pass from Death who lives in the Land of Death. However, Monkeybone and Hypnos have their own agenda with Stu's body when it comes to making nightmares. — Rtkat3