The name "Space Chimps" makes one cringe involuntarily. It's the kind of dreadfully simple, truth-in-advertising title you hope is actually misleading.
But no, the movie really is about "Space Chimps." Thankfully, they're not live-action monkeys with computer-generated mouths, my greatest fear.
This is a fairly standard-issue cartoon about a crew of space program test monkeys, including Luna (Cheryl Hines) and Titan (Patrick Warburton), who are given a mission deemed too dangerous for humans. They must pass through a wormhole in space and enter a new dimension teeming with cute, bouncy alien life. And one big bad guy.
The chimp selected to lead the mission is a wisecracking circus monkey named Ham III (Andy Samberg of "Saturday Night Live"), grandson of a famous astronaut chimp. He's more interested in showbiz, however -- especially his not-quite-perfected chimp cannonball trick.
Ham III has a hard time working with others, and a complicated relationship with his famous legacy. But he can perform acrobatic maneuvers without passing out, so the others need him.
There's lots of slapstick -- hey, it's a movie about monkeys -- leavened with a few gags for adults, such as constant references to "2001: A Space Odyssey." It's not hilarious, but elicits more laughs than expected for a chimp movie.
Still, in a summer where the kids' movies have been a rare bright spot -- "Wall-E" and "Kung Fu Panda" -- the bar is set pretty high for chimps. Even chimps that are astronauts.
• In wide release
Additional Information:
'Space Chimps'
Rated G 
(out of four)
