Space Chimps
Encyclopedia
Space Chimps is a 2008 computer-animated family
comedy film
produced by Vanguard Animation
, Starz Media
and 20th Century Fox
, and it was released on July 18, 2008. The film is produced by Barry Sonnenfeld
, John H. Williams
, and John W. Hyde
and stars the voices of Andy Samberg
, Cheryl Hines
, Jeff Daniels
, Patrick Warburton
, Kristin Chenoweth
, Kenan Thompson
, Carlos Alazraqui
and Zack Shada
.
The teaser ad for this movie premiered on June 20, 2008 during a Fox broadcast of another primate/space-related movie - 2001's remake
of Planet of the Apes
.
), grandson of the first chimpanzee in space
, being a cannonball
at his circus and later being criticized by his grandfather's friend Houston (Carlos Alazraqui
). Meanwhile, an unmanned NASA
space probe called the Infinity is dragged into an intergalactic wormhole
, and crash-lands on an Earth-like planet on the other side of the galaxy
. Zartog (Jeff Daniels
), an evil-minded inhabitant, accidentally discovers how to take manual control of the on-board machinery and uses it to enslave the population.
Faced with the loss of the probe and probable loss of their budget, the scientists have to find a way to regain contact with the probe, to help retrieve the wayward craft. Technical genius chimp Comet (Zack Shada
) gets the scientists to pick them as astronauts to explore the planet and get the probe back, with the help of the fearless Lt. Luna (Cheryl Hines
), and their bombastic commander, Titan (Patrick Warburton
). The Senator (Stanley Tucci
) likes the idea, but wants something extra special to grab the attention of the media, and picks Ham. Ham is uninterested in the mission, but he is launched into space despite his best efforts to escape the scientist's training facility.
The three chimps enter the wormhole, where Titan and Luna pass out from the pressure, leaving Ham with the task of getting the ship out and landing it. This is done, and Ham and Luna explore the planet, during which their ship, along with Titan, is taken by a group of aliens sent by Zartog.
Ham and Luna begin their journey to Zartog's palace, and on the way they meet one of the inhabitants, known to them as Kilowatt (Kristin Chenoweth
). Kilowatt offers to lead them to the palace, but soon after they encounter a flesh-eating monster in a cave. The monster blocks the exit, but Kilowatt distracts it, sacrificing herself so Ham and Luna can escape.
The two chimps finally reach the palace, where they discover that Titan has been teaching Zartog some of the probe's features. They rescue him and are able to board their ship, but just as they are about to leave, Ham glances outside and sees Zartog torturing some of the other aliens. He then tells Titan and Luna that they indirectly sent the probe there, and that they owe it to Kilowatt to help save the planet. The three of them exit the ship, which blasts off set to autopilot, but as they are trying to think of a plan, Zartog attacks them with the probe. Just as they are about to get destroyed, Titan tricks Zartog into triggering an ejection mechanism in the probe, which in turn leads to his defeat.
The chimps then discover that Kilowatt has survived, and they are able to make contact with Comet and Houston back on Earth through a walkie-talkie. Houston reminds them that if they can redesign the probe, then they can use it to get back to Earth. They manage to do this with help from the planet's inhabitants and they use an erupting volcano to get the thrust they need to escape the planet's gravity.
They go into space, and just as they are about to re-enter the wormhole, Titan hands the controls over to Ham, since Ham is the only one who can withstand the pressure, and thus, the only one who can pilot the ship home. Titan and Luna once again pass out. Ham is unsure if he is up to the task until he has a mental conversation with his grandfather, who tells him to believe in himself and to just do things his (Ham's) way.
Ham manages to manoeuver the ship back to Earth and land it with Luna's help, and the Senator, under pressure from the press, decides to dramatically increase the space program's funding. The film ends with a celebration being held for the chimps' return.
, California
.
reported that 36% of professional critics gave positive reviews based on 89 reviews, giving it a Rotten rating overall. The RT Consensus states: "Space Chimps cheap animation and overabundance of monkey puns feels especially dated in a post-WALL-E
world."
Roger Ebert
gave a positive review towards the film. Ebert gave the film 3 stars and saying in his review that "Space Chimps is delightful from beginning to end". The New York Times claimed Space Chimps was "hilarious".
The film opened with $7.1 million in 2,511 theaters with an $2,860 average. However, the film became a moderate box office success. The film has grossed $30.1 million in the United States and $33.6 million in other countries totaling $63.8 million worldwide.
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
produced by Vanguard Animation
Vanguard Animation
Vanguard Animation, LLC. is an American animation studio founded in 2004 by producer, John H. Williams. It produces computer animated films. Films produced include its debut film Valiant, Happily N'Ever After and Space Chimps....
, Starz Media
Starz Media
Starz Media is the motion picture, animation, television, and home video subsidiary of Liberty Media.-Subsidiaries:Starz Media's subsidiaries include:*Anchor Bay Entertainment - distribution division for DVDs and videos....
and 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, and it was released on July 18, 2008. The film is produced by Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld is an American filmmaker and television director. He worked as cinematographer for the Coen brothers, then later he directed and produced big budget films such as Men in Black.-Life and career:...
, John H. Williams
John H. Williams
John H. Williams is a film producer known for his work both in live-action and in animation. He is famous for co-producing the 2001 animated feature Shrek...
, and John W. Hyde
John W. Hyde
John W. Hyde has been working in the entertainment industry for over 40 years. Born March 29, 1941 in Jackson, Michigan he is married to Kate Morris Hyde and lives in both Los Angeles County and Badger, California.-Biography:...
and stars the voices of Andy Samberg
Andy Samberg
David Andrew "Andy" Samberg is an American actor, comedian, rapper and writer best known as a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island and as a cast member on Saturday Night Live...
, Cheryl Hines
Cheryl Hines
Cheryl Ruth Hines is an American actress and director, known for her role as Larry David's wife Cheryl on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. She currently appears on the ABC sitcom Suburgatory...
, Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
, Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton
Patrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
, Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
, Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work as a cast member of NBC's long-running sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live...
, Carlos Alazraqui
Carlos Alazraqui
Carlos Jaime Alazraqui is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Deputy James Garcia on the Comedy Central series Reno 911!. His voice-over work includes the role of Bobbi Fabulous on Phineas and Ferb, the Taco Bell chihuahua, Denzel Q...
and Zack Shada
Zack Shada
Zachary David "Zack" Shada is an American teen actor.Shada appeared as Thin Boy in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle , and as Nick Davis in the 2005 television movies Jane Doe: Vanishing Act, Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't, Jane Doe: Till Death Do Us Part, and Jane Doe: The Wrong Face...
.
The teaser ad for this movie premiered on June 20, 2008 during a Fox broadcast of another primate/space-related movie - 2001's remake
Planet of the Apes (2001 film)
Planet of the Apes is a 2001 American science fiction film, based on Pierre Boulle's novel and a remake of the 1968 film of the same name. Tim Burton directed the film, which stars Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, and Estella Warren. It tells the...
of Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes
La Planète des singes, known in English as Monkey Planet or Planet of the Apes, is a French 1963 science fiction novel by Pierre Boulle...
.
Plot
The movie begins with Ham III (Andy SambergAndy Samberg
David Andrew "Andy" Samberg is an American actor, comedian, rapper and writer best known as a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island and as a cast member on Saturday Night Live...
), grandson of the first chimpanzee in space
Ham the Chimp
Ham , also known as Ham the Chimp and Ham the Astrochimp, was the first chimpanzee launched into outer space in the American space program...
, being a cannonball
Human cannonball
The human cannonball is a performance in which a person is ejected from a specially designed cannon. The impetus is provided not by gunpowder, but by either a spring or jet of compressed air...
at his circus and later being criticized by his grandfather's friend Houston (Carlos Alazraqui
Carlos Alazraqui
Carlos Jaime Alazraqui is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Deputy James Garcia on the Comedy Central series Reno 911!. His voice-over work includes the role of Bobbi Fabulous on Phineas and Ferb, the Taco Bell chihuahua, Denzel Q...
). Meanwhile, an unmanned NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
space probe called the Infinity is dragged into an intergalactic wormhole
Wormhole
In physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that would be, fundamentally, a "shortcut" through spacetime. For a simple visual explanation of a wormhole, consider spacetime visualized as a two-dimensional surface. If this surface is folded along a third dimension, it...
, and crash-lands on an Earth-like planet on the other side of the galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
. Zartog (Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
), an evil-minded inhabitant, accidentally discovers how to take manual control of the on-board machinery and uses it to enslave the population.
Faced with the loss of the probe and probable loss of their budget, the scientists have to find a way to regain contact with the probe, to help retrieve the wayward craft. Technical genius chimp Comet (Zack Shada
Zack Shada
Zachary David "Zack" Shada is an American teen actor.Shada appeared as Thin Boy in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle , and as Nick Davis in the 2005 television movies Jane Doe: Vanishing Act, Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't, Jane Doe: Till Death Do Us Part, and Jane Doe: The Wrong Face...
) gets the scientists to pick them as astronauts to explore the planet and get the probe back, with the help of the fearless Lt. Luna (Cheryl Hines
Cheryl Hines
Cheryl Ruth Hines is an American actress and director, known for her role as Larry David's wife Cheryl on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. She currently appears on the ABC sitcom Suburgatory...
), and their bombastic commander, Titan (Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton
Patrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
). The Senator (Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci is an American actor, writer, film producer and film director. He has been nominated for several notable film awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in The Lovely Bones...
) likes the idea, but wants something extra special to grab the attention of the media, and picks Ham. Ham is uninterested in the mission, but he is launched into space despite his best efforts to escape the scientist's training facility.
The three chimps enter the wormhole, where Titan and Luna pass out from the pressure, leaving Ham with the task of getting the ship out and landing it. This is done, and Ham and Luna explore the planet, during which their ship, along with Titan, is taken by a group of aliens sent by Zartog.
Ham and Luna begin their journey to Zartog's palace, and on the way they meet one of the inhabitants, known to them as Kilowatt (Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
). Kilowatt offers to lead them to the palace, but soon after they encounter a flesh-eating monster in a cave. The monster blocks the exit, but Kilowatt distracts it, sacrificing herself so Ham and Luna can escape.
The two chimps finally reach the palace, where they discover that Titan has been teaching Zartog some of the probe's features. They rescue him and are able to board their ship, but just as they are about to leave, Ham glances outside and sees Zartog torturing some of the other aliens. He then tells Titan and Luna that they indirectly sent the probe there, and that they owe it to Kilowatt to help save the planet. The three of them exit the ship, which blasts off set to autopilot, but as they are trying to think of a plan, Zartog attacks them with the probe. Just as they are about to get destroyed, Titan tricks Zartog into triggering an ejection mechanism in the probe, which in turn leads to his defeat.
The chimps then discover that Kilowatt has survived, and they are able to make contact with Comet and Houston back on Earth through a walkie-talkie. Houston reminds them that if they can redesign the probe, then they can use it to get back to Earth. They manage to do this with help from the planet's inhabitants and they use an erupting volcano to get the thrust they need to escape the planet's gravity.
They go into space, and just as they are about to re-enter the wormhole, Titan hands the controls over to Ham, since Ham is the only one who can withstand the pressure, and thus, the only one who can pilot the ship home. Titan and Luna once again pass out. Ham is unsure if he is up to the task until he has a mental conversation with his grandfather, who tells him to believe in himself and to just do things his (Ham's) way.
Ham manages to manoeuver the ship back to Earth and land it with Luna's help, and the Senator, under pressure from the press, decides to dramatically increase the space program's funding. The film ends with a celebration being held for the chimps' return.
Premiere
The premiere was held on July 13, 2008 in Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Cast
- Andy SambergAndy SambergDavid Andrew "Andy" Samberg is an American actor, comedian, rapper and writer best known as a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island and as a cast member on Saturday Night Live...
as Ham III, Ham I's grandson. He is a circus chimp who loves his job. - Cheryl HinesCheryl HinesCheryl Ruth Hines is an American actress and director, known for her role as Larry David's wife Cheryl on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. She currently appears on the ABC sitcom Suburgatory...
as Luna, Titan's lieutenant. She is fearless, intelligent and beautiful. - Jeff DanielsJeff DanielsJeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
as Zartog, a real-estate-developing alien. - Patrick WarburtonPatrick WarburtonPatrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
as Titan, the pompous commander of the expedition. - Kristin ChenowethKristin ChenowethKristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
as Kilowalawhizasahooha (Kilowatt), a tiny but sweet alien who befriends Ham and Luna. Her head lights up when she is frightened, hence her name. - Kenan ThompsonKenan ThompsonKenan Thompson is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work as a cast member of NBC's long-running sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live...
as Ringmaster, the owner of the circus where Ham III worked. - Carlos AlazraquiCarlos AlazraquiCarlos Jaime Alazraqui is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Deputy James Garcia on the Comedy Central series Reno 911!. His voice-over work includes the role of Bobbi Fabulous on Phineas and Ferb, the Taco Bell chihuahua, Denzel Q...
as Houston, friend of Ham's grandfather and Ham's confidant - Zack ShadaZack ShadaZachary David "Zack" Shada is an American teen actor.Shada appeared as Thin Boy in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle , and as Nick Davis in the 2005 television movies Jane Doe: Vanishing Act, Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't, Jane Doe: Till Death Do Us Part, and Jane Doe: The Wrong Face...
as Comet, a technical genius chimp - Omid AbtahiOmid AbtahiOmid Abtahi is an American actor of Iranian origin.- Biography :Before moving to the United States, Abtahi and his family lived in Europe and the Middle East.He grew up in Orange County, California, and graduated from University High School in Irvine....
as Dr. Jagu - Patrick BreenPatrick BreenJoseph Patrick Breen is an American actor. He has acted primarily on TV but has also appeared in numerous films, as well as on Broadway and Off Broadway...
as Dr. Bob - Jane LynchJane LynchJane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
as Dr. Poole - Kath SoucieKath SoucieKatherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
as Dr. Smothers - Stanley TucciStanley TucciStanley Tucci is an American actor, writer, film producer and film director. He has been nominated for several notable film awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in The Lovely Bones...
as Senator - Wally WingertWally WingertWallace E. "Wally" Wingert is an American actor and voice artist. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but he currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the current announcer for the second incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the current voice of Jon Arbuckle in...
as Splork / Infinity Probe / Pappy Ham - Jessica Gee as Ship Voice / Infinity Probe / Additional voices
- Tom KennyTom KennyThomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
as Newsreel - Jason Harris as Guard
- Jay Keiser as Cloud of Id
- Tom Jamcomb as Reporter #1
- Curtis Augspurger as Reporter #2
- Jess HarnellJess HarnellJess Q. Harnell is an American voice actor and singer, best known for voicing Wakko Warner on Animaniacs. Harnell has been the announcer for America's Funniest Home Videos since 1998.-Life and acting career:...
as Additional Voices - Ellie HarvieEllie HarvieEllie Anne Harvie is a Canadian actress born in Belleville, Ontario who portrayed Morticia Addams on The New Addams Family. Later, she starred as Dr. Lindsey Novak in Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis....
as Additional Voices - Caitlin McKenna-Wilkinson as Additional Voices
Reception
Critical reaction has been mixed to negative. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 36% of professional critics gave positive reviews based on 89 reviews, giving it a Rotten rating overall. The RT Consensus states: "Space Chimps cheap animation and overabundance of monkey puns feels especially dated in a post-WALL-E
WALL-E
WALL-E, promoted with an interpunct as WALL•E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future...
world."
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave a positive review towards the film. Ebert gave the film 3 stars and saying in his review that "Space Chimps is delightful from beginning to end". The New York Times claimed Space Chimps was "hilarious".
The film opened with $7.1 million in 2,511 theaters with an $2,860 average. However, the film became a moderate box office success. The film has grossed $30.1 million in the United States and $33.6 million in other countries totaling $63.8 million worldwide.