Synopsis:
When a $5 billion Space Agency probe disappears into an intergalactic wormhole, the agency recruits Ham III, grandson of the first chimpanzee in space, to help retrieve the wayward craft. But Ham is a free-spirited circus performer more interested in zero gravity high jinks than living up to his illustrious heritage. The simian slacker becomes a reluctant hero and learns the true meaning of courage as he and his crewmates, the fearless Lt. Luna and their uptight commander, Titan, risk everything in an effort to save the peaceful inhabitants of a distant planet from an evil dictator. A hilarious, out of this world adventure the whole family can enjoy, "Space Chimps" features cutting edge CGI animation and the voice talent of Andy Samberg ("Saturday Night Live"), Cheryl Hines ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"), Patrick Warburton ("Rules of Engagement"), Kristin Chenoweth ("The West Wing") and Stanley Tucci ("Robots").
CMC Review: By Adam Lasik
Dwarfed by the frenzied opening of The Dark Knight, Space Chimps enters the summer movie fray virtually unnoticed - but it deserves some recognition.
Movies that manage to entertain the entire family, regardless the age or worldview, should be more highly regarded than they tend to be. The scarce few who hit the right combination of marketing fervor and release date timing, like Wall-E and, to a lesser extent, Kung Fu Panda get noticed, while an excellent film like Space Chimps seems destined to fall through the cracks.
Sadly, there were perhaps a dozen people in the theater when my daughter and I went to see the film. There was a line down the hall and around the corner of people waiting for the next showing of The Dark Knight.
Space Chimps is a well-considered, well-executed film geared toward children, but funny enough to keep adults entertained. Perhaps not quite to the level of The Incredibles, but pretty close. At various points, I found myself literally laughing out loud along with my 6-year old (going on 7), while at other times I was actually laughing alone, or enjoying the two elderly ladies at the end of the aisle who were, more than once, practically rolling in the aisles. So parents, fear not - Space Chimps should keep you entertained, too.
One would expect a Hollywood cartoon movie about chimpanzees going into space to include some political agenda related to evolution. Space Chimps does, indeed, have a few things to say on the subject. However, the comments are somewhat subdued and do not directly teach on or substantially promote any rhetoric on the matter.
There are a number of fairly violent scenes, including one particular "bully" character who uses physical intimidation and is constantly making threats, following through when he is unhappy with the response he gets. A creature is used to shoot projectile quills at the characters, one making contact without causing any serious damage. Also, a character is eaten by a large creature, although she (at least, we think it's a "she") manages to make an appearance later in the film.
While Space Chimps is genuinely funny throughout the movie, several bits of humor are bathroom-related. A running theme of the film is the romantic pursuit of Ham III, grandson of the first chimp ever to go into space, and Luna, a female chimpanzee trained as an "astronaut." While most children will not have the first clue, parents may detect a double-entendre.
Overall, Space Chimps teaches positive lessons about being a leader, individuality, learning new things, coping with difficult situations, and conquering fear. It does so without being too aggressive or blunt, and with a clear sense of humor.
It is up to each viewer to determine whether to see it in the theater or wait for it to come out on video - but it is worth seeing, one way or another.
One last bit of advice - wait for the end of the credits to get a few seconds of bonus material.
Overall CMC Rating: 90/100
- Entertainment Value: 21/25
- Violence: 13/15
- Language: 19/20
- Sexual Content: 19/20
- Drugs and Alcohol: 10/10
- Worldview/Message: 8/10
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