Space Chimps
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 "Oh, lord..."
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Space Chimps is a 2008 animated comic science fiction film directed by Kirk DeMicco (in his debut), who wrote the screenplay with Rob Moreland. It features the voices of Andy Samberg, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Daniels, Patrick Warburton, Kristin Chenoweth, Kenan Thompson, Zack Shada, Carlos Alazraqui, Omid Abtahi, Patrick Breen, Jane Lynch, Kath Soucie, and Stanley Tucci.
The film follows three chimpanzees who go into space to an alien planet.
20th Century Fox theatrically released the film on July 18, 2008, and received mostly negative reviews by critics. The film grossed $64.8 million on a $37 million budget. It received an Artios Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Animation Feature. A video game based on the film was also released in July 2008.
A direct-to-video sequel, titled Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back, was released on May 28, 2010 to cinemas in the United Kingdom by Entertainment Film Distributors and was released on DVD on October 5, 2010 in the United States by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Plot
Ham III (Samberg), the slacker grandson of the first chimp blasted into space before manned spaceflight, joins two other astronaut chimps for a dangerous mission through a black hole to an inhabited planet. When they're stranded there, the chimps must help the inhabitants rid themselves of a tyrannical leader, and then figure out how to get back to Earth.
Why It Goes Bananas (And Not in a Good Way)
- Most of the characters are either annoying or super unlikable like Ham III, who's ruder than what he seems to be and Titan who appears to be dumber and unlikable.
- Cheap CGI animation, even for 2008 standards.
- The plot is very uninspired and feels borrowed from other better movies like E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Monsters Inc.
- Unfunny and weak humor, especially with the overabundance of monkey puns and some pop-culture jokes.
- Weird human designs that may be awkward to some people.
- In some scenes, some of the characters don't move at all.
- Zartog is a silly character that doesn't feel like a threat.
- The alien planet is far too earth-like. For example, the grass is green and the sky is blue, a boring visual that could have been avoided by choosing any other color.
- The chimps are shown flipping switches and controlling the rocket during the launch, which would not happen as the rocket would be fully automated (as were the rockets that NASA used to launch chimpanzees in the 1950s).
- Weak direction skill of Kirk DeMicco who would later direct The Croods and Vivo which are both better films.
Redeeming Qualities
- The casting is pretty well-crafted.
- Some funny moments here and there.
- The ape character designs aren't so bad.
- "Another Postcard" is a pretty decent song.
- Luna, Comet, and Houston are very tolerable characters.
- The CGI animation, despite being cheap, can look decent.
Videos
Comments
- Bad media
- Bad films
- 2000s films
- Animated films
- Science fiction films
- 20th Century Studios
- Comedy films
- Adventure films
- Family films
- Animal films
- Films with direct-to-video follow-ups
- Box office hits that received negative feedback
- Weinstein films
- Vanguard Animation films
- "It's made for kids"
- Movies with obvious product placement