Space Chimps (2008) on Netflix
G20081h 21mAdventureAnimationComedy
An uncrewed NASA probe crash-lands on Malgor, where a tyrant called Zartog uses its machinery to enslave the population. Ham III, a circus cannonball, joins the chimp crew sent after it.
- Netflix3.2/5
- IMDb4.5/1013,506 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes33%
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Plot summary
When the NASA probe Infinity is dragged through a wormhole and wrecked on Malgor, its machinery falls into the hands of Zartog, a tyrannical inhabitant who learns to operate it by hand and enslaves the planet's population. Facing the loss of the probe and their funding, the scientists send three chimpanzee astronauts after it: the technical genius Comet, the lieutenant Luna and the commander Titan. A senator adds Ham III, the grandson of the first chimpanzee in space, who performs as a circus cannonball and wants nothing to do with the mission. He tries to escape and is launched anyway. In the wormhole Luna and Titan pass out, leaving Ham to land the ship on Malgor.
Cast
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Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Space Chimps (2008)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Kirk DeMicco conceived the premise after watching The Right Stuff, whose line “Does a monkey know he's sitting on top of a rocket that might explode?” made him wonder what would happen if the monkey knew. Shortly afterwards he saw the space chimpanzee Ham on a 1961 Life cover, and the animal's smug expression gave him a self-centered protagonist.
- The film's limited budget meant creative choices had to be made for the music to sound interesting: alongside the orchestra, the Blue Man Group played PVC pipes.
