Space Chimps Review

Space Chimps

 
Release Date: 25th September 2008 - Australia

Production Companies

Vanguard Animation

Odyssey Entertainment

Starz Animation

Starz!

Studiopolis

The Weinstein Company 
 
Distribution

Roadshow Distribution

Genre: Animation/Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 77 minutes


Budget: $37,000,000

Box Office Gross: $64,834,964
(Worldwide)

Plot Summary
Ham III, the grandson of the first chimp astronaut, is blasted off into space by an opportunity-seeking senator. Soon, the fun-loving chimp has to get serious about the mission at hand; ridding a far-away planet of their nefarious leader. Fortunately for Ham III, two of his simian peers are along for the ride. (Source - IMDb)

Voice Cast

Andy Samberg - Ham III

Cheryl Hines - Luna

Patrick Warburton - Titan

Jeff Daniels - Zartog

Kristin Chenoweth - Kilowatt

Kenan Thompson - Ringmaster

Zack Shada - Comet/Nava Boy

Carlos Alazraqui - Houston

Omid Abtahi - Dr. Jagu

Patrick Breen - Dr. Bob

Jane Lynch - Dr. Poole

Kath Soucie - Dr. Smothers

Stanley Tucci - Senator

Wally Wingert - Splork/
Various

Crew

Story/Screenplay/Director - Kirk De Micco

Screenplay - Robert Moreland and Joe Piscatella (Uncredited)

Additional Screenplay Material - Jason Mayland

Executive Producers - Eric M. Bennett, Morris Berger, Neil Braun, Steve Brown, Jerry Davis and John W. Hyde

Producers - John H. Williams and Barry Sonnenfield

Co-Producer - Curtis Augspurger

Production Designer - Bo Welch

Additional Production
Designers - Keith Graves
and Deane Taylor
Concept Designer - Tohru Patrick Awa

Character Designer/Storyboard Artist - Sterling Sheehy
Character Designers - Stephanie Choi,
Peter DeSeve, Harald Siepermann and Eddie Yang

Animation Director - Adam Wood
Supervising Animators - Claus Pedersen
and Graham Silva
Background Designer - Jose Martinez
Lighting Director: Vanguard Animation - Erik Mattson
Lighting Supervisor - David Hirst

Cinematography - Jericca Clelamd
Head of Layout/Visual Effects - Steven Elford

Film Editor - Debbie Berman

Supervising Editor - Tom Finan

Music - Chris Bacon

Composers: Additional Music - Blue Man Group
and Gad Emile Zeitune

Review

Vanguard Animation, the studio headed by one of the producers of 'Shrek' has been producing a few animated films in the past decade and each of them were ranked as okay to mediocre. Their third movie 'SPACE CHIMPS' had appalling box office takings it was outranked by its formidable competitor 'WALL-E'. While it wasn't a surprise hit by any chance, the film however did spawn a sequel that was never released in theatres. The original movie however feels like an animated movie that wastes its potential and was literally written by monkeys on typewriters. The animation isn't too great and the story-line is much too bland and not original enough. The over-abundance of ape puns were all over the movie like it's all covered with monkey paw-prints. A few bits of comedy remained funny and most of the other jokes don't quite get the same laugh from its intended audience.

The voice cast is imperfect, particularly Andy Samberg who is not a horrible actor but tries to give his character a daredevil persona which falls flat. Jeff Daniels who was a great actor, from his extraordinary supporting and leading parts in acting, drama and comedy has been miscast in the role as the evil alien Zartog and this may be the reason why he never has been offered any more voices in the animated features. Stanley Tucci had bad luck to voice a certain senator who seems to care about himself more than NASA as well as the opportunity that he craves. Only Patrick Warburton succeeds in following the characterisation of by-the-book chimp Titan and he seems to be more quick to follow an ill-gotten script.

Monkey see, monkey don't, this is the phrase I would use to sum up my review. 'SPACE CHIMPS' is a simple, yet juvenile family animation for young kids.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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