The first Space Chimps wasn’t exactly an animation triumph when it hit theaters back in 2008, nor did it stand up as a decent film. Jokes fell flat, the premise was weak, and the animation felt years behind even some of the smaller independently produced CGI films. It wasn’t a promising venture from Fox animation and invoked questions as to whether or not they had any hope in the field without a supplementary production house like Ice Age’s Blue Sky Studios behind it. Perhaps the most perplexing aspect of the Space Chimps sequel, Zartog Strikes Back, is that it seems a genuine regression in animation quality from its studio’s earlier ventures like Happily N’Ever After and Valiant. Nothing works in this direct-to-DVD sequel, and it’s hard to understand under which merits it was greenlit.
If you’ve been following along, at the end of the first Space Chimps, the planet Malgor was liberated by the simian trio and its deposed dictator, Zartog (Jeff Daniels) became a lawn ornament on a lawn nearby the NASA base. The apes returned to Earth, leaving their friend Kilowatt (Kristin Chenoweth) to keep the newly established peace. The chimps now live comfortably at home waiting for another chance to blast off into the great beyond. Ham III (Andy Samberg) now spends his days in simulators and jets and circus nets having fun and flirting with Lt. Luna (Cheryl Hines), as Houston (Carlos Alazraqui) plays the wise old mentor. Titan (Patrick Warburton) is mentally scarred by the events of the first film and now hangs from a bar in a room, eternally doing sit-ups. All seems well until Comet gets himself shot into space on a shuttle and ends up back on Malgor. While the team back on Earth deals with getting their tech-savvy teammate back home, Zartog reawakens from being a lawn ornament and gets his hands on a departiclizer (which looks identical to a Wiimote) and holds NASA hostage, zapping mission control one by one until he can find and do the same to Ham.
That’s the story, but before you judge it based on the merits of its acting cast, know this: only Cherly Hines and Patrick Warburton returned for this outing (even if Warburton is great, he can’t carry a film this bad as a supporting character). So all-star cast here, and the script is just appallingly bad. The comedy is some strange off-brand that doesn’t appeal to kids, but at the same time isn’t nearly funny or charming enough to entertain the adults. The reason for this is pretty clear: the DVD offers a 3D version (using cheap glasses), the gimmick of which is supposed to be all a kid will need to be encouraged to watch this over and over again. It won’t work. The few instances where they try to take advantage of the third dimension fail; nothing in this film hits the intended target.
What is there to recommend Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back? Nothing, really. The comedy misses its audience. The animation is so slow and stilted in an effort to accommodate the 3D facet that it moves at a snail’s pace. Blame it on the editing if you want, but the film if horribly constructed from every conceivable department of filmmaking.
DVD Bonus Features
The two little nuggets in the extras menu include a music video by Shada (Zack Shada), who plays the lead chimp, Comet. It’s comically awful. It might be the funniest thing on the disc. Then there’s Jagu’s dance, and you have to wonder who put this disc together.
There are so many decent children’s films out there and you have to wonder what dire straits a parent would have to be in to consider buying something as awful as this for their child to watch. If you’re at such a point where you’re considering putting Space Chimps 2 into a DVD player to entertain your child, choose something else. Anything else. Even something like a horror movie that might scar them; no matter what it is, it won’t be as damaging as this.
"Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back" is on sale October 5, 2010 and is rated PG. Adventure, Animation, Children & Family, Comedy. Directed by John H Williams. Written by Robert Moreland. Starring Laura Bailey, Patrick Warburton, Zack Shada.
