Space Chimps (2008)

When I really think about it, this movie has a very intriguing concept to it. The storyline of chimpanzees being rocketed to space sounds very interesting. Not only that, but it's original as well (If there are any other movies that go along this premise, I haven't heard of it.), and we could definitely use more originality in today's movie industry. In other words, this movie had true potential. But soon after, I found out it was about chimps who go through a black hole and to another dimension inhabited by strange aliens. And here I thought it would be about chimps being utilized in a space station, or something a little less cutesy and sugar-coated. I had lost a bit of interest after hearing this, but I figured that I shouldn't judge the movie before I saw it. But then I saw the trailer. It was horribly unfunny (especially the "AAAH- okay I'm done. No wait, never mind- AAAH!" screaming part) and seemed to have the same clichéd characters from many other movies. This lowered my interest to zero, and I decided I wasn't going to see it. Unfortunately, I had to go due to children wanting to go see it, and it was everything I expected it to be. It was unfunny and many of the jokes seemed forced, mixed with your standard farts and potty jokes. The characters seemed even MORE clichéd: the mischievous son who has to live up to a family role (Andy Samberg, horribly unfunny, but that's probably the writers' faults), the no-nonsense one who hates the mischievous one but grows to like him (Cheryl Hines, no complaints), and the clueless one who thinks he's all that and who the mischievous one likes to annoy (Patrick Warburton, who is becoming a cliché himself, simply because his voice is ALWAYS used for this kind of character in countless movies to the point that I'm getting a little annoyed). Basically, everything was something I have seen before, which is weird because the premise sounds so original. But the worst thing about the movie was the villain alien, Zartog (horribly played by, for some reason, Jeff Daniels). This was the most annoying character because he acted so stupid and immature (no doubt to add comedy to his character, failing miserably at it, I might add) and didn't come off as a villain at all. I don't even recall him being given a motive for being the villain. He just starts off as the crabby neighbor everyone hates and/or fears with the dream of domination via freezing everyone who resists with some chemical. This just gives the character, oddly enough, no character at all. And, of course, the chimps go through the black hole to this dimension of aliens and they end up having to find some way to save them from domination by the annoyingly-petty and ultimately-nonthreatening Zartog. The bland/forced/clichéd humor, the clichéd characters, and just the annoying Zartog all make "Space Chimps" a forgettable flick that just makes me sad how a movie's potential could be wasted just by the lack of effort, whether it be in acting, directing, or (my guess) writing.

I rented it for my 3 kids to watch. They range in age 5, 8, and 11. All 3 were fully entertained! They always have to check out any movie with chimps as the main characters-- and although animated, they laughed throughout. The graphics weren't the best out there but the jokes made up for it. There is something for everyone. Boys and girls will enjoy it. The character of kilowatt is one of the cutest I've ever seen. And the lead of Ham has some off beat jokes you'd probably find in more adult comedies. It's the kind of movie you'll feel good after watching it. I didn't recognize any of the actors as "big names" but it was still entertaining. Check it out with the kiddos!

This movie has nothing new for us except the freezing stuff on the alien planet. It was a long time since such an incoherent concoction was construed before us. The plot is almost impossible to bear or follow, due to its hops between different scenes, and the myriad of aliens, chimps and people. To top it all, the animation is quite inferior compared to Pixar's. So why was this movie done? If you love chimps to the point of being a fan, you can admire their virtues as the inheritors of corrupted people. Even the most free spirited chimp, represented by Ham IIIrd, can grasp itself and rise beyond the highest human morals.

The writing in Space Chimps feels very Family Guy esquire, which I am not at all a fan of.Whilst there's (virtually) no offensive language or crudeness, the gags almost solely depend on quick-fire references to other films and TV shows etc. For me, this gets tedious and is a very lazy way to write comedy IMO. For my 3 1/2 year old, it's not possible for him to understand any of the references. He's too young for Space Chimps and if I had known, I wouldn't have taken him. Even for 8 year-olds I think the references would be way before their time. It's as if the gags are written ONLY for adults, which to me puts the film in a no-mans land where it is neither for kids nor their parents.The way CGI films should be made, is that a script meant for real actors, which is technically too costly to achieve "in the flesh", can then be made using CGI. In reality, there's probably a think-tank of people who design the visuals and then the script, which is why many of these ventures are weak.