Disney’s nature documentaries* always follow a time-tested formula*: lovely animals live happily in their natural setting, caught by skillfully placed cameras that get very close to the plants and animals.

    Tina Fey narrates this Disney documentary about the monkeys of Sri Lanka.

    Directors Mark Linfield and Alastair Fothergill have made other nature documentaries, and they and their camera team capture* extraordinary footage of a whole tribe of macaque* monkeys living in the jungle* near some abandoned* temples. The filmmakers tell the story about the hardships of Maya, living at the bottom of the social ladder, her mate Kumar and their baby Kip.

    The narration is overused, but at least Fey makes a good hostess. The musical score by Harry Gregson-Williams is a cut above* the scores found in many of these films, and there are even some clever song cues* like the theme song from the TV show “The Monkees.”

    Of course there is an impressive supporting cast, including elephants, peacocks, leopards*, a reclusive* mongoose* and a horrible seven-foot monitor lizard that is the monkeys’ most determined enemy. A couple of high points include the monkeys’ adventures into more civilized places in search of food. At one point they enter a village and disrupt* a planned birthday party, eating cake, jello and even popcorn. Later they are forced to the city, where they also prove to be surprisingly resourceful scavengers* in the city markets.

    In the end, Maya and Kumar drive a rival tribe from their habitat and manage to raise their social standing in the process. The sociology remains a bit unclear, but the film is tightly edited and the footage is always fun to watch. The end titles give viewers some idea of how the camera team managed to get close to the animals. (SD-Agencies)