SPACE CHIMPS
CAROLINE: I’m sorry, Ryan, but I had to send you to see “Space Chimps” without me. I am so done with animated movies this year, but I’d like a pat on the back for how many I’ve seen.
RYAN: I’ll give you more than a pat on the back! I thought you might see one with me, but you’ve seen several. I never dreamed it was possible. I was glad to see “Space Chimps” on behalf of our team.
CAROLINE: Why thank you. Tell me about the movie.
RYAN: It’s really quite cute. It’s about monkeys, and let’s face it – nothing’s better for a movie than monkeys. They’re cute, they’re funny and they’re silly, and in this case, they go to outer space.
CAROLINE: Who are the famous celebrity voices behind said monkeys?
RYAN: Andy Samberg of TV’s “Saturday Night Live” voices the main character, and he’s good but not hilarious. The comedy really comes in with one of my favorite performers of all time, Kristin Chenoweth, who’s best known for Broadway’s “Wicked.”
CAROLINE: Is she the love interest?
RYAN: No. She’s one of the supporting characters who’s an alien on the planet the chimps go to. She’s shrill and hilarious.
CAROLINE: So was it funny and appealing for adults or is it really more for kids?
RYAN: Definitely more for kids. The humor has some innuendo that adults will appreciate, but the reason it’s not as good for an older audience is that the threat in the storyline and the villains aren’t dangerous enough. It’s not built up very much, and that was disappointing. I think they could have made the threat more severe and it would have made a better story. As it is, it comes off very preschool-ish.
CAROLINE: So it’s more “VeggieTales” than “Wall-E.”
RYAN: Correct. But the animation is as good if not better than “Wall-E.” I saw the movie with my friends Susan and Irina and their daughter, Hannah, and at one point, Susan leaned over and asked me, “Is this in 3D?” Even without glasses on, it looks 3D in some scenes; that’s how amazing the animation is.
CAROLINE: Very cool. Anything else I should know?
RYAN: Jeff Daniels voices the bad guy, Cheryl Hines is the love interest monkey and Stanley Tucci does a voice as does one of our favorite actresses, Jane Lynch.
CAROLINE: I love all those actors, but I still don’t want to hear them in an animated kids’ movie. Bottom line?
RYAN: It’s very cute for the very young and for those of us who enjoy family films. Kids will love it on the big screen or on DVD.
CAROLINE: What did lil’ Hannah think?
RYAN: She loved it, of course.