Ella (Monkey Shines)

Ella, performed by Boo and voiced by Frank Welker, is a character in the film Monkey Shines.

Ella is a part of a helper monkey program. After Allan Mann is rendered quadriplegic due to a surgery, his friend Geoffrey Fisher suggests the program to help him out and to lift his spirits. However, Geoffrey is a research scientist under pressure to produce results and has been dosing Ella with a serum to boost her intelligence and believes Ella may prove his serum works.

Initially Ella is a huge help to Allan. As time goes on, Allan becomes frustrated and Ella becomes aggressive. At night, Allan dreams of running through grassy fields and suspects he is telepathically linked to her. Geoffrey finds evidence to support the theory but keeps quiet about it.

Allan gets a second opinion about his paralysis and discovers that he may have been misdiagnosed; another surgery may enable Allan to walk again. Before attempting the risky surgery, the doctor needs Allan to demonstrate some ability to move an appendage. Rather than feeling happy at this news, Allan is filled with anger at the surgeon who originally (possibly purposely) misdiagnosed him (and who is now dating Allan's former girlfriend). He fantasizes about burning the man's cabin down, and that night, Ella escapes and does just that; killing the surgeon and his girlfriend with a pack of stolen matches.

After seeing news of the fire, the horrified Allan believes that Ella has been carrying out his dark impulses. He also realizes that when he is around Ella, he becomes easily enraged. Allan demands that Geoffrey take Ella away for good, which he does under protest. With Ella gone, Allan becomes more relaxed; he spends the weekend at Melanie's house and the two begin a romance.

Allan returns home and mends bridges with his mother, but he suddenly feels outraged at her disapproval of Melanie. Allan realizes that Ella must be nearby (Ella has returned to the house after escaping Geoffrey's lab). Allan's mother ignores his desperate warnings that she leave, and instead takes a bath. Ella kills her by dropping a hairdryer into the tub, electrocuting her. Allan briefly answers a call from Melanie before Ella disables the phone; concerned, Melanie departs for Allan's house.

Geoffrey arrives and confesses that Ella was an experimental subject. The enraged Allan demands Geoffrey to leave, upset at being used for an experiment yet concerned for his safety with Ella around. Instead, Geoffrey pursues Ella around the house; intending to put her down with one of the syringes of sodium pentobarbitone he has brought. Ella manages to take one of the syringes and injects Geoffrey, striking him down.

Ella returns to Allan, who is filled with self loathing because he believes that Ella is acting out his own impulses. He screams at Ella, but the monkey responds by urinating on him. Melanie arrives and Ella attacks her. This finally convinces Allan that Ella is not simply carrying out his desires. Melanie falls and is knocked unconscious. As Allan rages at Ella, she ignores him and prepares to inject Melanie with one of Geoffrey's syringes. Allan calms himself and moves his right arm to engage his tape deck. As peaceful music plays he lovingly summons Ella to cuddle close to him, and she complies. When Ella is by his head, Allan viciously bites Ella in the neck and throws her onto his wheelchair continuously, snapping her neck.