on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 20 reviews with an average rating of 6.1/10. In his review for The New York Times, Walter Goodman described the film as a "young folks' story, a sweet-natured boy-and-his-chimp tale (even the bad guys aren't all that bad - that's very arguable), with a dose of Animal Liberation to give the impression that something of current significance is going on." On 5 February 1989, it was the first film ever shown on Sky Movies in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Controversy TV personality Bob Barker and the United Activists for Animal Rights accused the film's producers of animal cruelty. The American Humane Association, which consulted during production, filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit, arguing that the animal cruelty claims were based on hearsay. In 1994, over Barker's objections, his insurance company settled the lawsuit for $300,000. Aftermath Virgil was portrayed by "Willie", who now resides at Primarily Primates wildlife refuge. Willie was sent there along with Harry, who played his "girlfriend". They were retired from the entertainment industry and live with other males in a tightly knit group at the refuge in Bexar County, Texas. References External links 1987 films American science fiction comedy-drama films 1980s science fiction comedy-drama films American science fiction thriller films 1980s science fiction thriller films American comedy thriller films Films about apes Films about the United States Air Force American Sign Language films Films directed by Jonathan Kaplan 20th Century Fox films Films scored by James Horner Films about animal rights Animal cruelty incidents in film 1980s comedy thriller films Films produced by Walter F. Parkes Films set in Madison, Wisconsin Films set in Florida Films shot in Ventura County, California Films shot in Los Angeles County, California Films shot in Los Angeles 1980s American films