Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Silly space adventure has peril, some scares.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Space Chimps
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 13 parent reviews
Based on 11 kid reviews
Kids say the movie features a mix of opinions, with many believing it's best suited for young children while older kids might find it boring. Some appreciate its humor and cute moments, while others criticize the animation quality and plot coherence, leading to an overall verdict that it's entertaining for a younger audience but leaves much to be desired for older viewers.
- suitable for kids
- mixed reviews
- animation issues
- entertaining moments
- plot coherence
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
The nation's space program is in jeopardy after an expensive rover unexpectedly goes off course through a wormhole too dangerous for astronauts to navigate. Mission control concocts a last-ditch plan to send chimps on the retrieval mission. Since the first chimp in space, Ham, is long dead, the powers that be select his grandson, wisecracking circus performer Ham III (voiced by Andy Samberg) to join trained chimp crew members Titan (Patrick Warburton) and Luna (Cheryl Hines). Things get a bit tricky when they eventually find the rover on a pastel-colored planet where a tyrant named Zartog (Jeff Daniels) is using it to enslave his fellow aliens.
Is It Any Good?
The combination of space exploration and talking animals should make this appealing for the elementary school set. Not every animated movie has to be a sophisticated masterpiece, and sometimes a goofball chimp and his buddies are good for laughs. With Pixar creating thoughtful, memorable animated films such as WALL-E that even childless adults love, it's hard for a regular old cartoon comedy to compete. But once your initial surprise at the Care Bears-level animation wears off, you may find that it's easy to enjoy SPACE CHIMPS' silly jokes. The references to The Right Stuff, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Apollo 13 are obvious but still clever.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Ham doesn't take anything seriously at first. Is it difficult to live up to accomplished relatives?
How does teamwork save the day? What else do the chimps learn in this movie?
Families can also discuss whether the high standards set by Pixar's Oscar-winning movies have made other animated films less enjoyable. Do you expect more from animated movies now? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 18, 2008
- On DVD or streaming : November 24, 2008
- Cast : Andy Samberg , Cheryl Hines , Jeff Daniels
- Director : Kirk De Micco
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Vanguard Animation
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Adventures , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
- Run time : 81 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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