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Space Chimps
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKirk DeMicco
Screenplay by
  • Kirk DeMicco
  • Rob Moreland
Story by
  • Kirk DeMicco
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJericca Cleland
Edited byDebbie Berman
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • July 18, 2008 (2008-07-18)
Running time
81 minutes[3]
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • Canada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$37 million[2]
Box office$64.8 million[2]

Space Chimps is a 2008 animated comic science fiction film directed by Kirk DeMicco (in his directorial debut), who wrote the screenplay with Rob Moreland. It features the voices of Andy Samberg, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Daniels, Patrick Warburton, Kristin Chenoweth, and Stanley Tucci.

The film follows three chimpanzees who ventures through planet Malgor. 20th Century Fox theatrically released the film on July 18, 2008, and received mostly negative reviews from critics. The film has grossed $64.8 million on a $37 million budget. It received an Artios Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Animation Feature. A video game based on the film was also released in July 2008.

A direct-to-video sequel, titled Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back, was released on May 28, 2010, to cinemas in the United Kingdom by Entertainment Film Distributors and was released on DVD on October 5, 2010, in the United States by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Plot

[edit]

In outer space, an uncrewed, intelligent life-searching NASA space probe, Infinity, is dragged into an intergalactic wormhole and crash-lands on the other side of the galaxy. It lands on an Earth-like alien planet named Malgor, populated by colorful alien beings. Zartog, an inhabitant, accidentally discovers how to take manual control of the onboard machinery and uses it to enslave the population. Faced with the possible extinction of Infinity and their budget, the scientists hire multiple chimpanzees as astronauts to regain contact with the probe and retrieve it: technical genius Comet, lieutenant Luna and commander Titan. The Senator adds Ham III, grandson of Ham, the first chimpanzee in space to the team, who works as a cannonball at a circus in company of Houston, a friend of Ham III's grandfather. Ham III is uninterested in the mission, but despite his best attempts to escape, he is launched into space.

Ham, Luna and Titan enter the wormhole, where the latter two pass out from the pressure, leaving Ham with the task of getting the ship out and landing it. The ship and Titan are taken by the henchmen of a tyrannical fishmen-like alien named Zartog, and Titan, unaware of Zartog's agenda, teaches him about the probe's features. Ham and Luna journey to Zartog's palace. Ham reveals that he believes Space Chimps is a joke which makes Luna angry at him. They arrive in the planet Malgor and meets a big-headed alien named Kilowatt, who glows when she gets scared. They go into a valley of the aliens' food where they meet some small, spherical creatures called globhoppers, which arrange themselves into a duplicate of Ham and copy his every move, and then they go into the cave of the Flesh-Devouring Beast. Kilowatt volunteers to distract the beast so Luna and Ham can escape, and is devoured in the process. They then go inside the Dark Cloud of Id, which they fall out of. Once at the palace, they rescue Titan and plan to leave. However, Ham, Luna and Titan alter their course of action after noticing Zartog torturing the inhabitants by having them frozen in a pool of freznar, feeling they owe it to Kilowatt to stop Zartog. They abandon the ship, which returns home on autopilot.

Zartog attacks the chimpanzees with the probe and threatens to freeze them all, but Titan tricks him into activating the probe's ejection mechanism, which launches Zartog into the pool of freznar and freezes him. Kilowatt, who has survived, frees the chimps. The chimps re-establish contact with Houston and Comet to discuss their prospects on leaving. By Ham's suggestion and with help from Malgor's inhabitants, they manage to engineer a ship from the probe's constituents, launching it through a volcanic eruption while using the frozen Zartog as their nose cone.

Before they re-enter the wormhole, Titan hands the controls over to Ham. Though Ham becomes skeptical once more, he is reassured by a vision of his grandfather and steers it out of the wormhole. Comet advises him to decrease the ship's entry angle, and the ship starts spinning out, though Luna recovers in time to aid Ham. The repurposed mechanical arms soon fail, and the Zartog nose cone detaches in the atmosphere, damaging one of the ship's fins while Comet and Houston appropriate an HEMTT to prepare for the ship's arrival. Since Ham needs to fly and Titan is still out, Luna climbs out to repair it. She succeeds and Ham regains control as the ship passes a media conference, but Luna loses her grip and is seemingly killed. Ham nearly crashes the ship and one of the arms break off, but he manages to successfully land it on the HEMTT. He leaves the ship and finds Luna merely knocked out. Moments later, Houston, Comet and Titan catch up with them. Attracted by the commotion, the scientist, Senator and media discover the ship and the chimps. Under pressure from the press, the Senator decides to dramatically increase the space program's funding instead of cutting it. Subsequently, the scientists celebrate their return.

Zartog is later revealed to have landed in front of a suburban residence, as a Dachshund then urinates on him after he leaves the ship.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

In 2002, Kirk DeMicco conceived a film premise of anthropomorphic chimpanzees on a spaceship from viewing The Right Stuff (1983), a fictional depiction of the Mercury Seven program. It included the line, "Does a monkey know he's sitting on top of a rocket that might explode?" which made him wonder what happened if the monkey knew. Shortly after the lightbulb moment, he saw the famous space chimpanzee Ham on the cover of a 1961 issue of Life magazine; the chimpanzee's smug expression gave him the idea of a self-centered protagonist going on a dangerous space mission.[4] Using the Life magazine issue with him, DeMicco pitched his ideas to John H. Williams, comparing the plot to that of Tommy Boy (1995). Williams was instantly hooked and began working with him from there.[4] They later decided on "a great sci-fi adventure" for children that was also a mocking of science fiction media in the same way the Shrek films, which Williams also produced, parodied fairy tales.[4] DeMicco wanted the planet to have the vibe of the Mos Eisley cantina of the Star Wars series.[4]

The project and its title, Space Chimps, were first publicized in a Variety article on June 7, 2004, announcing it was next in Vanguard's production line after Valiant (2005).[5] The film was produced in two years by Williams' Vanguard Animation studio with a team of around 170, a $37 million budget, and DeMicco as director.[4] For the film, a new pipeline was created, as well as a studio constructed in Vancouver.[4] Chris Bacon was chosen as composer, who was recommended to DeMicco by James Newton Howard. The limited budget meant creative choices had to be made for the music to sound interesting; according to DeMicco, beds were occasionally used alongside the orchestra, and the Blue Man Group played PVC pipes.[4]

Release

[edit]

On April 11, 2006, 20th Century Fox signed a deal with Vanguard minority owner IDT Entertainment to distribute four films, the second in line being Space Chimps.[6]

Space Chimps was originally set to be released on May 2, 2008, but on December 19, 2007, the movie's release date was changed to July 18, 2008. This was mainly because of the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike.[7]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 32% of 90 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Space Chimps' cheap animation and overabundance of monkey puns feels especially dated in a post-Wall-E world."[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 36 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[9] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[10]

Roger Ebert gave a positive review of three stars and said in his review that "Space Chimps is delightful from beginning to end."[11]

Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times said that Space Chimps was "hilarious".[12]

Lael Loewenstein of Variety called it "fairly fatuous but enjoyably slim family entertainment".[13]

Box office

[edit]

The film has grossed $30.1 million in the United States, and $34.7 million in other countries, totalling $64.8 million worldwide.[14] The film was released in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2008, and opened on #7, grossing £563,543.[15]

On its opening weekend, Space Chimps was number seven with a gross of $7.1 million in 2,511 theatres, with a $2,860 average;[2] it was a poor opening for the film, debuting on (at the time) the highest-grossing box office weekend ever in the United States.[16]

Awards

[edit]
List of awards and nominations
Award Category Nominee Result
Artios Award Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Animation Feature Matthew Jon Beck Nominated

Home media

[edit]

20th Century Home Entertainment released Space Chimps on DVD and Blu-ray on November 25, 2008.[17]

Video game

[edit]
Main article: Space Chimps (video game)

A video game based on the film was released in July 2008, published by Brash Entertainment and developed by Redtribe, Wicked Witch Software and WayForward Technologies.

Sequel

[edit]
Main article: Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back

Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back was released on May 28, 2010, to cinemas in the United Kingdom by Entertainment Film Distributors and was released on DVD on October 5, 2010, in the United States by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. It was universally panned by critics and grossed just over $4 million during its theatrical run. Tucci, who voiced one of the supporting characters Senator in the sequel, would later considered it the worst film he ever done in his filmography.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Space Chimps

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Space Chimps is a American computer-animated film directed by in his feature directorial debut. The film follows III, a circus and grandson of the real-life , the first in space, who is recruited by to join elite astronauts Luna and Titan on a mission to retrieve a lost $5 billion probe that has vanished into a leading to the alien planet Malgor. Upon arrival, the trio encounters the planet's inhabitants, including the tyrannical leader Zartog and a heroic trio of yellow aliens, sparking an intergalactic adventure blending humor, heroism, and themes of self-discovery. The voice cast features as the wisecracking Ham III, as the intelligent Luna, and as the burly Titan, alongside as the tyrannical Zartog, as the inventive alien Kilowatt, and as the scheming Senator. Written by DeMicco and Rob Moreland, the screenplay draws inspiration from the history of primate spaceflight while delivering family-friendly comedy through antics and pop culture references. Produced by and Animation with a budget of $37 million, it was distributed by 20th Century Fox and released theatrically in the United States on July 18, 2008. Critically, Space Chimps received mixed reviews, earning a 33% approval rating on based on 89 critic scores, with praise for its voice performances and lighthearted tone but criticism for uneven animation and predictable plotting. Commercially, it grossed $30.1 million domestically and $36.9 million internationally, totaling $67 million worldwide, marking a moderate success that led to a sequel, Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back, in 2010. The film highlights the legacy of animal astronauts in space exploration history, paying homage to NASA's use of chimpanzees in early orbital missions during the .

Synopsis

Plot

NASA's experimental probe, Infinity, unexpectedly enters a during a test mission and crash-lands on the distant planet Malgor, where it is discovered by the tyrannical alien Zartog. Zartog exploits the probe's advanced technology to subjugate the planet's peaceful inhabitants, using it to enforce his rule through fear and control. Faced with the potential cancellation of the U.S. program due to the lost probe, NASA decides to send a crew of chimpanzees on a retrieval mission, as the risks are too great for human astronauts. The team includes Ham III, a reluctant and wisecracking circus performer who is the grandson of the original Ham, the first chimpanzee to travel to in ; the confident and skilled pilot Luna; the by-the-book mission commander Titan; and the technical expert , who operates from mission control on . The crew's , Horizon, successfully navigates the treacherous and lands on Malgor, but the mission quickly turns perilous as they confront Zartog's forces and the planet's hostile environment. After Titan is captured during an initial reconnaissance, Ham III and Luna rally to him, evading alien pursuers and utilizing their unique abilities in a series of adventurous escapades that classic tropes. With Comet's remote guidance, the team locates the probe, and through clever improvisation, they harness its ejection mechanism as a weapon to overpower Zartog and free the oppressed locals, showcasing the transformative power of heroism and collaboration. Victorious, the chimpanzees repurpose elements of the probe and local resources to construct a return vehicle, successfully piloting it back through the to . Their triumphant landing not only recovers the technology but also secures renewed funding for NASA's chimpanzee initiative, affirming themes of personal growth, interstellar teamwork, and the enduring spirit of exploration.

Cast

The voice cast of Space Chimps features a talented ensemble of actors and comedians who infuse the anthropomorphic astronauts and alien characters with humor, energy, and distinct personalities, enhancing the film's blend of sci-fi and family-friendly . Their performances emphasize exaggerated mannerisms and witty dialogue to underscore the story's playful tone, drawing on comedic timing to highlight the chimps' human-like quirks and the aliens' otherworldly traits. Key members of the cast include:
ActorCharacterRole Description
Ham IIIThe reluctant hero chimp, a circus performer and grandson of the pioneering chimp Ham, whose sarcastic humor and showbiz flair drive much of the film's comedic reluctance and growth. His portrayal captures the character's underdog charm in a sci-fi setting. The character draws inspiration from the real-life chimpanzee Ham, the first hominid launched into in 1961.
LunaThe tough, no-nonsense female astronaut chimp, whose confident and sassy demeanor adds feisty dynamics to the team's interactions, balancing action with lighthearted banter.
TitanThe honorable and stoic commander chimp, providing authoritative presence and deadpan humor that grounds the ensemble's adventurous spirit.
ZartogThe bombastic antagonistic alien leader, whose villainous schemes and over-the-top accent amplify the sci-fi comedy through exaggerated menace.
KilowattThe spunky Malgorian rebel alien, bringing bubbly energy and rebellious wit that contrasts the main crew's dynamics with quirky alien flair.
SenatorThe bureaucratic senator overseeing the mission, whose dry, authoritative delivery injects satirical humor into the human elements of the story.
The young, tech-savvy chimp enthusiastic about travel, whose eager innocence and gadget-focused personality contributes youthful optimism to the team's tone.
RingmasterThe flamboyant circus ringmaster from Ham III's background, whose boisterous exclamations heighten the film's circus-to- comedic transition.
Dr. PooleThe sharp-witted scientist, adding professional edge and humorous exasperation to the mission's preparatory scenes.
Titan's loyal bodyguard chimp and mission control operator, whose supportive role and quick quips reinforce the team's camaraderie with grounded humor.
Supporting voices, such as as Dr. Jagu and as Dr. Bob, further populate the team with diverse scientific perspectives, contributing to the film's satirical take on . The actors' vocal choices, including chimp-like inflections and alien dialects, effectively convey the characters' personalities without relying on visual animation alone.

Production

Development

The concept for Space Chimps originated in 2002 when writer-director Kirk DeMicco became fascinated by the history of animal astronauts. DeMicco drew inspiration from the 1983 film The Right Stuff, which dramatized early U.S. space program heroes, envisioning a comedic animated tale that parodied NASA's space race era through anthropomorphic chimpanzees. This idea stemmed from DeMicco's curiosity about whether a chimpanzee like Ham could comprehend the peril of rocketing into space, blending historical reverence with lighthearted sci-fi adventure. The real-life exploits of spacefaring chimpanzees provided the foundational inspiration for the film's protagonists and its satirical take on bureaucracy. Ham, a three-year-old trained at the Holloman Aerospace Medical Center, flew on the Mercury-Redstone 2 suborbital mission on January 31, 1961, reaching an altitude of 157 miles and experiencing 6.6 minutes of before splashing down in the Atlantic 422 miles from launch. This flight, part of , tested viability by monitoring Ham's responses to acceleration, zero gravity, and reentry stresses; he performed simple tasks successfully, confirming the spacecraft's safety despite minor injuries from an extended flight duration caused by a booster malfunction. DeMicco used Ham's story—and the broader U.S.-Soviet programs—as a direct template for the film's chimp astronauts, infusing the narrative with themes of unlikely heroism amid high-stakes exploration. In 2005, following his work on , DeMicco pitched the project to producer John H. Williams at , framing it as a kid-friendly sci-fi parody similar to 's subversion of fairy tales, with a bumbling grandson character echoing the ne'er-do-well dynamic of . Williams embraced the concept as "a totally winning idea," leading to the greenlight. On April 12, 2006, and IDT Entertainment announced production of Space Chimps, securing a domestic distribution deal with 20th Century Fox through IDT's multi-picture agreement. DeMicco co-wrote the with Rob Moreland, prioritizing humor, swashbuckling adventure, and messages of self-discovery and bravery tailored for young audiences, with refinements from to sharpen the comedic tone. The script emphasized the chimps' underdog journey, drawing parallels to human astronauts while avoiding overly technical space jargon. Early development faced challenges in positioning the film as an accessible, low- animated feature to attract family viewers in a market dominated by high-cost blockbusters. With a $37 million —about 25% of contemporary or DreamWorks productions—the team of around 170 artists completed principal work over two years, focusing on efficient character designs and storyboarding to maintain broad appeal without extravagant effects.

Animation and music

The animation for Space Chimps was produced by at their studio in , , utilizing 3D CGI techniques to create a comic aesthetic. A team of 170 artists completed the project over a two-year production cycle, emphasizing expressive facial animations for the chimpanzee characters to convey humor and emotion, alongside vibrant depictions of alien worlds populated by monstrous creatures and a tyrannical villain. This approach drew inspiration from sci-fi classics like The Right Stuff, prioritizing character-driven comedy within a family-friendly visual style. The film's $37 million budget represented about 25% of the typical costs for contemporary or DreamWorks productions, enabling creative efficiencies such as streamlined storyboarding and focused CGI rendering to maintain a lighthearted, parody-infused tone without expansive . Director , in his feature debut, oversaw the visual development to ensure broad appeal for young audiences, balancing exaggerated chimp mannerisms with accessible interstellar adventure elements. Voice recording sessions emphasized comedic timing and energetic delivery to enhance the film's humorous parody elements, with actors like providing the lead role of Ham III through improvised inflections that amplified the chimp-like antics. The musical score was composed by Chris Bacon, marking his first animated feature, and performed by a large ensemble of the to blend orchestral sci-fi motifs with upbeat, humorous tracks that underscored the film's satirical tone. The contributed additional music and elements, incorporating percussive effects to evoke space travel and alien environments, aligning with the production's emphasis on innovative, low-cost audio creativity. No original songs were featured, but the soundtrack prioritized dynamic soundscapes for comedic sequences involving rocket launches and extraterrestrial encounters.

Release

Theatrical release

In April 2006, and Entertainment secured a distribution deal with 20th Century Fox for the film's release in the United States, , and . Originally scheduled for May 2, 2008, the film was postponed to July 18, 2008. The world premiere occurred in July 2008, coinciding with its wide theatrical debut in 2,511 theaters across the United States. Internationally, the rollout began earlier in select markets, with releases in Brazil on June 25 and Hong Kong on July 17, followed by the UK on August 1, where it debuted at number 7 with £563,543 in its opening weekend. The strategy focused on summer timing to capture family audiences during school vacations, with subsequent openings in countries like Australia (September 25) and France (October 22). Marketing campaigns highlighted the film's three-dimensional CGI animation and star-studded voice cast, including and , through promotional trailers that emphasized the comedic space adventure for all ages.

Home media

The release of Space Chimps was handled by Fox Home Entertainment, with the DVD and Blu-ray Disc versions launching simultaneously in the United States on November 25, 2008, approximately four months after its theatrical debut. The standard formats included a single-disc DVD in both full-screen and editions, a standalone Blu-ray Disc with and , and combo packs bundling the Blu-ray with a DVD copy. Bonus materials on these releases featured a "Fox Movie Channel Presents Casting Session" featurette with interviews from the cast and discussing character development and voice work, a still image gallery, TV spots, and promotional trailers for other titles. International variants of the DVD were distributed with localized packaging and dubbed audio tracks in languages such as French and Spanish, adapting the film for regional markets like (Chimps), Brazil (Space Chimps: Micos no Espaço), and . As of November 2025, Space Chimps is available for streaming on platforms such as HBO Max and in the United States. Home video sales provided a significant revenue stream that contributed to the film's overall profitability, particularly after a modest theatrical performance, with strong initial units sold in the weeks following release helping to recoup costs. Later reissues, such as the "Family Icons" edition, offered refreshed combo packs of Blu-ray and DVD to capitalize on enduring family viewing demand.

Reception

Critical response

Upon its release, Space Chimps received mixed to negative reviews from critics, who often found its animation and humor lacking compared to contemporaries like Pixar's WALL-E. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 33% approval rating based on 89 reviews, with an average score of 4.6/10; the site's consensus describes it as "Space Chimps' cheap animation and overabundance of monkey puns feels especially dated in a post-Wall-E world." Metacritic assigns it a score of 36 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reception. In contrast, audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a B+ grade on an A+ to F scale. Some critics praised the film's lighthearted humor and family-friendly charm. awarded it three out of four stars, calling it "delightful from beginning to end" for its "goofy " elements and blend of humor with emotional heart. Neil Genzlinger of described it as "hilarious," appreciating the plucky chimp protagonists in their intergalactic adventure. Similarly, Lael Loewenstein in Variety noted its "fairly fatuous but enjoyably slim" appeal as family entertainment, highlighting winking adult laughs amid the chimp antics. Negative critiques frequently targeted the film's predictable storyline, juvenile humor, and subpar animation quality. Reviewers pointed to derivative elements reminiscent of other animated sci-fi comedies, with uneven pacing and reliance on that failed to innovate. For instance, several critics lamented the over-the-top puns and formulaic plot twists as feeling unoriginal in an era of more sophisticated . Critics were divided on how the film's parody of space epics—blending Star Wars-style tropes with hijinks—resonated, with some viewing the chimp antics as endearingly silly for younger viewers, while others saw them as underdeveloped satire that prioritized broad gags over clever commentary. This split contributed to its middling aggregate scores, where the landed better with audiences seeking light escapism than with those expecting deeper narrative or visual polish. As of 2025, the film's critical scores remain unchanged, with no significant reevaluations or retrospectives emerging since its 2008 debut or the 2010 sequel.

Box office

Space Chimps opened in the United States on July 18, 2008, earning $7.2 million across 2,511 theaters and ranking seventh at the for its debut weekend. The film went on to gross $30.1 million domestically over its theatrical run. Internationally, Space Chimps performed solidly, accumulating $36.9 million, including a notable opening weekend in the of £563,543 from 314 screens. This overseas contribution exceeded domestic earnings, highlighting stronger appeal in select family markets. The film's worldwide total reached $67.0 million against a $37 million , resulting in moderate profitability after accounting for marketing and distribution costs. Released amid the crowded summer 2008 blockbuster season—competing with high-profile releases like —Space Chimps leveraged its animated family niche for extended playtime and steady weekend holds. As of 2025, no significant revisions to these figures have been reported.

Awards

Space Chimps garnered limited formal recognition in awards circuits, with its primary accolade being a nomination for the Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in – Animation Feature from the Casting Society of America in 2009. This honor, presented to casting director Matthew Jon Beck, acknowledged the film's ensemble of voice talents, including as Ham III, as Luna, and as Titan, which helped underscore its appeal as a lighthearted family adventure. The nomination highlighted the casting's role in blending comedic timing with character-driven storytelling, even amid the film's mixed critical reception. Despite this nod, Space Chimps did not secure a win in the category, which was awarded to Pixar's Up for its casting by Kevin Reher and Natalie Lyon. The film received no nominations from major animation honors such as the , nor did it earn mentions in prominent children's media or festival awards beyond this casting recognition. As of 2025, no additional awards or nominations have been bestowed upon the original film, maintaining its status as a modestly acknowledged entry in the animated feature landscape.

Legacy

Video game

A tie-in video game based on Space Chimps was released in July 2008 by publisher Brash Entertainment. Developed by Redtribe for the , , and versions, Wicked Witch Software for the PC port, and Technologies for the edition, the game is a 3D that adapts key elements from the film's plot, such as the space mission to the planet Malgor. Platforms include , , , , and PC, with North American launches on July 15, 2008, followed by European releases in August. In the game, players control protagonists Ham III and Luna, navigating levels that mirror the movie's missions, including space travel sequences and adventures on Malgor. Gameplay emphasizes platforming, puzzle-solving using the characters' acrobatic abilities—like Ham's stomping attacks and Luna's whip-based combat—and battling forces under the villain Zartog to free imprisoned aliens. Mini-games incorporate humorous chimp behaviors, such as banana-collecting challenges, adding variety to the core action-adventure structure. The narrative closely follows the film's storyline without introducing new plot elements, spanning about 11 short levels completable in 4-6 hours. Reception was mixed, with for its family-friendly appeal and straightforward platforming suitable for children, but for its brevity, simplistic , and lack of depth. aggregated scores around 57/100 across platforms, while awarded 6.5/10, noting competent controls but unremarkable visuals. GamesRadar+ gave 2.5/5 stars, highlighting decent animations but repetitive gameplay. rated it 3/5, recommending it for ages 6+ due to mild cartoon violence and positive themes of . Commercially, the game achieved modest sales without notable long-term success or re-releases as of 2025.

Sequel

Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back is a 2010 American animated sequel to the 2008 film Space Chimps, directed and produced by John H. Williams. It was released theatrically in the on May 28, 2010, by , and later on DVD in the United States on October 5, 2010, by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The plot centers on , a tech-savvy who aspires to become a explorer like his idols. After accidentally launching himself into , he lands on the planet Malgor and teams up with the alien Kilowatt. Meanwhile, Zartog, having escaped captivity, travels to seeking revenge and takes over Mission Control. and Kilowatt return to with the help of the chimp team, including Ham III, Luna, and Titan, to thwart Zartog's plans and affirm heroism. Produced by in association with , the film features voice performances by as Comet, as Ham III, as Luna, as Titan, and reprising his role as the Senator from the original film. provides the voice for Zartog, with additional cast members including , , and . The sequel received overwhelmingly negative , earning a 0% approval rating on based on eight reviews, with critics citing poor animation quality, weak humor, and lackluster storytelling. On , it holds a 2.8 out of 10 rating from over 2,200 user votes. Financially, it generated approximately $5.6 million in international revenue from its limited theatrical run, with additional revenue from sales. Despite extending the Space Chimps franchise, no additional sequels were produced, and the film is often regarded as a significant decline in quality compared to the original, marking a diminished effort in the series.

References

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  39. https://www.cinemascore.com/
  40. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/movies/18chim.html
  41. https://variety.com/2008/film/reviews/space-chimps-2-1200508286/
  42. https://www.metacritic.com/movie/space-chimps/critic-reviews/
  43. https://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2008/08/06/movies/boxoffice/weekend_uk/index.html
  44. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/2008/
  45. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/artios-nominees-unveiled-89012/
  46. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482603/awards/
  47. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000154/2009/1/
  48. https://www.metacritic.com/game/space-chimps/
  49. https://www.ign.com/games/space-chimps
  50. https://www.mobygames.com/game/43463/space-chimps/
  51. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps2/944715-space-chimps/data
  52. https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/08/09/space-chimps-review
  53. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/space-chimps
  54. https://www.gamesradar.com/space-chimps-2/
  55. https://www.denofgeek.com/games/space-chimps-nintendo-wii-review/
  56. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1537481/releaseinfo/
  57. https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/movies/Space-Chimps-2-Zartog-Strikes-Back/
  58. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/space_chimps_2_zartog_strikes_back
  59. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1537481/fullcredits/
  60. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1537481/
  61. https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Space-Chimps-2-Zartog-Strikes-Back
  62. https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Space-Chimps
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