Project X

If you've ever cried during any animal movie, you'll want to keep a box of tissue handy for this sob-inducing drama. Matthew Broderick is an Air Force loose cannon reassigned to a secret project in which chimpanzees are taught to fly planes on simulators. Everything seems fine, and Broderick even makes friends with one, an adorable and intelligent ape named Virgil. Then he finds out that the chimps are only being trained so they can be zapped with fatal ionizing radiation as part of a study to determine how far pilots can fly in the event of nuclear attack. Broderick and Virgil's trainer (Helen Hunt) then spend the rest of the film trying to free the chimps. The best scenes are between Broderick and the animals, who are all terrific. Sure, it may be corny and predictable -- and the ending is more than a little silly -- but animal lovers will find it irresistible. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide